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Corporation 


V\  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  873-4S03 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


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CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductlons  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographlques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibllographlcally  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  In  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  mellleur  exemplaire 
qu'll  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-*tre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m6thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


K 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I — I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag6e 


□    Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur6e  et/ou  pelliculie 

I — I    Cover  title  missing/ 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


D 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  Illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  Interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr^e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int6rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout6es 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparalssent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqu6es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  In6gale  de  I'impresslon 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponlble 

Pages  wholly  or  partialj/  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmdes  d  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaire8; 


This  Item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  rdduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


Ills 

du 

difier 
une 
lage 


'■■I 


The  copy  filmed  heire  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grdce  d  la 
ginArositi  de: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 

Les  images  sulvantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  ave'*  'n 
plus  grand  roin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  Impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —^(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprim^e  sont  film6s  en  commenqant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corf  er,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  d  das  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m6thode. 


}rrata 
to 


pelure, 
in  d 


D 

32X 


g 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

FRAAK  roh'L'S  T/:h"S 


FUf//77VK  Spnirrixa  SKF/rcilEs; 


Tlii-   Mifurllancous  Artici'cs   iif^on   S/^itrl  ,viJ    Sporl 

iii:^,  Ori;:;inaliy  /'ti/'.'i's/icJ  in  the  F.ariv 

American  Miv^aJiici  and 

Periodkah. 


IIY  !  UK  L.MK        ^ 

¥' 

u/i./jAM  i/Ex/n-  iiEianarr. 

Aulli' r  (il    •■  l-rauli  l-orcMcr's   licl.l  Spi.ri.,.  ■    "  lih  iliid  I-isliiUs',"    ■•Aiucrii.in  ( ,.iii|r. 

in  ils  SciSMiis,"   "War«i,k  Wo,..l;inls, n.c   n.-.;r   M.ilktr',." 

•'  M\  .iliouliMK  bos,"   ••cJii.iriKl..ii  lliuuil-,."  cli  . 


f  .  hui  ri:u. 

I  Will:  ^1  M.lii  .|r  ol    Illiillhur,  .;ih1    Nllllior.j, la  U-.p!  111,11    u    .Ncli;.. 

r.v 
WILL    WILD  WOOD, 

AnUior  ut  "  Miiniuirh  (it  Kinmtnt  Spou>-iijii."  cl.  . 


/ 


WKMFIHI.IJ.  WlbCUNMN. 


(T 


Enlirtd,  anordini;  loAttcJ   Cull  ;rt^f.  in  tlic  Year  1S7S,  bv 

V  .     1:  .     1'  O  N  I>  . 
/n  l/ie  Ujjictofthe  Librarian  of  Coiiffrc.ts.  at  Wasliinffloii. 


- 


/ii-;reyf,  in  llic  Vfar  1S7S,  hv 
D  N  I>  . 
Caiiffrcss.  at  IViif/iin^'/oii. 


riir  M'MiKERs  01  FiiANK  r\yj<EsrEi<. 

1  -lis  \ol,rMl<  OF 

KU  <■■  I  Tl  V  v.     S  ri^lLTI  N  c;     H  K  KTI    :i  V.  - 
IS 

ui-.iMicrii'i.i.v  ni;t)i''ATri). 

BY 

r  II  E    F  I)  r  TO  11 . 


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I'K  I.IA  C/: 


\  (ilijfcl  ill  pi-esciitinjf  a  work  ot  this  kimi  lo  tin-  -portiny 
public,  iit  tlii>  tiiiii',  is  qviitc  liillv  tlufMicil  in  llii'  iiitroilui'- 
loiv  cliaptcr,  and  to  this  I  have  but  llttU'  ti>  ailil.  The  utility  and 
inti'icsl  (if  a  volmnt.'  of  tliis  kind  wil!,  I  liiisl,  be  apiiarcnl  in 
the  most  casur.l  observer.  '1  lu'  \vritini;s  of  •'  I''rank  I nre-ter,'" 
as  stateil  elsewhere,  are  too  well  and  lavorublv  known  to  rii|uire 
an  npoloifv  for  placinjf  a  new  collection  of  Ins  superb  sketches 
before  the  fiatcrnity  of  which  he  was,  white  livintj,  llio  l)rii,'hte-t 
liKht. 

1  desire  here  to  acknowledf^e  tny  obli<;ations  lo  that  keen 
sporlsnian  p.nd  delightful  sporting  writer,  " 'I'DKophihis,"  whosi^ 
i^enerous  aid  and  co-operation  in  this  work  has  fjreatly  lessened 
the  task  of  the  writer  in  gathering  from  various  sources  the 
i;eins  from  Forester's  pen  which  have  been,  until  now,  ailrift 
u))on  the  sea  of  literature. 

XS'itli  these  preliminary  remarks,  I  leave  the  reader  to  the 
perusal  of  "Frank  Forester's  l"uL;iti\e  Sporting  Sketches." 

TiiK   FiiiToir 


I'l 


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C().\  ■r/:.\  7  S. 


iNTllcilHtlTiiIlV,  .  ,;  .  .  .       ,       .  , 

A  Mkmihii  <ir  II.  W.  IlKiiliRur.  .  .  ,  , 

I'lIK  (lAMi;  UK  NnriTII    Amkuiia.  ... 

I.  'I'lIB   WoiiDcuOK.  .... 

II.  TlIK'    \V(l(ll)l  111  K- CclNl'l.rDKI),  ,  ,  , 

III.  Tin:  (,M  .Ml..     ....  , 

IV       TllK  l^UAll,— (.'iiNcl.llDKll,  .  .  ,  . 

.■\moni.  Till-:  .MiU'N'I'.m.Nj'.  .  .  .  , 

.\Mi)N(i  Tin:  ^llH,'.^^.^l.Ns  -('(iNci.tJDKii.  .  . 

.\    lll..\ZK    AT    I'.AIINKIIAT, 

'I'm-:  .\mi;ki'  ,\n  ISri'iBUN,  ■  .  .  . 

'I'lii:  Ukai'Ii  (II' Til k  Stai;,  .  ... 

TlIK   UkI)   I'i).\.   .  .  .  ...  .  ,  . 

A   Tllll'   Til    I'ltATKAI'    l{l(lll:it:  on.    SnM'K   .'^llOOTlNIi    ON    TlIK 

St.  I,a\vui:n(  w,       ...... 

Si'iiiNd  Mnu'K-.V  Uamiu.i.si.   I'ai'Ki;. 

Ilci.MOTIC'ATION    OP   (iA.lIK-lillUlH.  .... 


1.1 

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INTROD  UC  TOR  1 ' 


I"'! IE  sporting  works  of  "Frank  Forester"  arc  too  well  known 
anil  ilearlv  pri/AxI  tliroii^hout  the  civilized  world,  to  retiuire 
anv  extended  explanation,  or  —  as  seems  nnich  in  voj^ne  ■ — an 
apologv  for  placing  a  new  work  l)efore  tl\e  pid)lic,  and  partieu- 
larlv  the  sporting  puhlic,  of  America.  Althougli  this  lamented 
master  of  the  craft  has  produced  a  greater  number  of  \\i)rks  for 
the  instruction  and  entertainment  of  sportsmen  than  any  otlier 
author  upon  kindred  topics,  past  or  present,  his  writings  are 
cliaracterized  by  such  beauty  of  expression,  and  graceful  delinea- 
tion of  natural  scenery,  the  habits  and  haunts  of  our  game  birds 
animals,  ecc,  that  the  fraternity  is  ever  eager  to  peruse  anytliing 
from  or  pertaining  to  "  Our  Frank." 

His  incomparable  "  Field  Sports,"  ''Fish  and  I'ishing,"  "Amer- 
ican Game  in  its  Seasons,"  "  Sporting  Scenes  and  Characters," 
and  other  sporting  works,  are  still  as  dearly  prized  as  when  first 
published,  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  All  bear  the  indelible 
impress  of  a  master  mind,  and  have  the  qualities  of  imperishable 
works.  The  same  is  true  of  all  his  glorious  sporting  tales,  which 
literally  teem  with  bright  images  of  field  and  stream,  picturing 
faithfully  the  forest  nook,  the  deep  woodlands,  crystal  brook,  fairy 
glens,  and  all  those  sylvan  retreats  so  dear  to  the  sportsman. 
His  were  among  the  first,  as  they  arc  undeniably  the  finest,  con- 
tributions to  our  sporting  literature;  and  the  bright  thoughts  of 
his  surpassing  genius,  as  embalmed  in  his  writings,  will  ever 
remain  a  grand  and  indestructible  monument  to  his  memory, 
more  durable  than  bronze  or  granite  memorial,  as  these  shall 
remais'.  fresh  and  beautitid  when  the  more  perishable  material 
would  have  crmnbieii  oi  been  consutned  by  rust.  Truly,  "  Frank 
Forester''  created  his  own  memorial  more  durably  than  other 
hands  could  do,  through  the  medium  of  his  gifted  pen;  and  wliile 
the  enthusiastic  few  who  strove  to  erect  a  bronze  memorial  as 


^■^■l— 


10  INTRODUCTORY. 

expressive  of  the  admiration  in  vsliich  liis  \Mitings  are  held  by 
Ihe  fraternity  of  American  sportsmen,  failed  for  want  of  support, 
Ids  sportinj,'  hioiliurvs  still  continue  to  shine  witii  surpassing 
lustre,  despite  the  lapse  of  time  which  ha--  caused  other,  and 
among  them  many  vjorfhy  works  illustrative  of  field  and  forest 
sports,  to  become  obsolete  and  forgotten.  Ills  sporting  works  are 
still  unrivaled,  the  clas>ics  of  American  sporting  lUcrature. 

Although  English  by  birth,  his  sporting  talcs  are  essentially 
and  truly  American  ;  a  fact  which  he  once  stated  in  the  somewhat 
equivocal  terms  that  he  was  "an  American  autlu  r,  of  I'nglish 
birth,"  though  the  remark,  properly  accepted,  is  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  correct.  Major  (iiioiu;!-;  15.  IlAi.sriU),  in  his  very  able 
and  eloquent  addres-  delivered  at  the  unveiling  of  1  1i:khkrt's 
tomb-stone  in  Mount  Pleasant  Cemetery,  May,  1S76,  alluded  to 
him  as  "IIkn'ky  William  IIkrukkt,  of  ICngland,  the  Frank 
Forestry  of  America."  It  is  under  this  noiit  dc plume  that  he  is 
most  widelv  known  and  best  appreciated,  many  recognizing  him 
by  this  while  entirely  ignorant  of  his  real  name,  although  he  has 
written  far  more  voluminously  as  II.  \V.  IIekbert  than  under 
his  sporting  alias  of  "Frank  Forester."  Thus,  while  his  fine 
historical  romances,  essays,  etc.,  upon  which  he  supposed  his 
lame  as  an  author  to  depend,  have  become  to  a  more  or  less  e.vtent 
obsolete,  his  works  upon  the  sports  and  sportsmanship  of  America 
have  loii-  been  acknowledged  the  highest  authority  in  the  land 
of  his  adoption. 

Further  comment  upon  this  remarkable  man,  and  his  no  less 
remarkable  abilities  as  an  author,  the  writer  must  for  the  present 
forego,  merely  premising  that  at  some  future  date  he  hopes  to 
place  before  the  sportsmen  of  America  a  work  descriptive  of  the 
literarv  labors  and  achievements  of  "  Frank  Forester." 

The  present  series  of  sporting  tales,  etc.,  originally  published 
in  the  old  "  Demociatic  Review,"  "  Graham's  Magazine,"  the  old 
"Spirit  of  the  Times,"  "Southern  Military  Gazette,"  and  other 
periodicals  long  since  suspended,  have  never  been,  to  any  extent, 
republished,  and  will  therefore  have  nearly  the  mtercsi  of  an 
original  work  to  the  present  generation.  It  would  seem  in  some 
measure  a  duty — and  to  the  writer  it  is  a  very  pleasant  one— to 
preserve  the  fugitive  sporting  sketches  of  the  lamented  "Forester" 


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1 


TORT. 

icli  liis  \M-itings  are  licld  by 
;n,  frtik'ii  for  want  of  support, 
lie  to  sliiiie  with  surpassiiiij 
vhicli  lia  cau-etl  other,  and 
llustrative  of  fielil  and  forest 
tten.  His  s|>orting  works  are 
ican  sporting  literature, 
sporlin;^;  talcs  are  essentially 
.'  once  stated  in  the  somewhat 
\merican  autlmr,  of  Mni^lish 
accepted,  is  to  all  intents  and 
W.  llAi.srij),  in  his  vtr\  able 
the  unveiling  of  1  1i:kukrt's 
nietery,  May,  1S76,  alluded  to 
KKT,  of  ICngland,  the  I-'iauk 
■  tiiis  nom  (Ic  plume  that  he  is 
iated,  many  recognizing  him 
is  real  name,  altliough  he  has 
II.  \V.  llLREiKKT  than  under 
:ster."  Thus,  while  his  fine 
ipon  whicli  he  supposed  his 
ccome  to  a  more  or  less  extent 
nd  sportsmansliip  of  America 
lighest  authority  in  the  land 

narkable  man,  and  his  no  less 
)e  writer  must  for  the  present 
ome  future  date  he  hopes  to 
rica  a  work  descriptive  of  the 

"  Frank  Forester." 
ales,  etc.,  originally  published 
Graham's  Magazine,"  the  old 

Military  Gazette,"  and  other 
ive  never  been,  to  any  extent. 
ive  nearly  the  niteresl  of  an 
ition.  It  would  seem  in  some 
it  is  a  very  pleasant  one — to 
les  of  the  lamented  "Forester" 


IXTRODUCTORT.  n 

from  an  oblivion  into  which  they  must  inevitably  have  fallen,  if 
not  redeemed  by  a  work  of  this  kind.  His  gems  are  by  far  too 
precious,  and  the  store  too  small,  to  allow  any  to  be  lost. 

These  sketches— many  of  them  written  in  his  happiest  vein- 
compare  favorably  witli  the  more  pretentious  productions  from 
the  pen  of  "  Our  Frank,"  and  will  no  doubt  be  eagerly  welcomed 
bv  all  lovers  of  American  sporting  literature.  Nothing  could 
serve  better  to  exemplily  the  inspiration,  the  keen  zest  in  that 
most  bewitching  and  subtle  art  which  he  fondly  termed  "  the 
gentle  science  of  wood-craft,"  and,  wilhal,  the  varied  character 
and  surpassing  beauty  of  all  liis  writings,  than  a  collection  of  this 
description.  If  brings  out  in  bold  relief,  and  in  delightful  con- 
ti-.-.^.t,  the  varied  style  of  his  contributions  to  our  sporting  litera- 
ture;  display^  to  perfection  the  fruits  of  his  scholarly  n-ind;  and, 
above  all,  exhibits  throughout  ''that  touch  of  sympathy  whicli 
maketh  all  mankind  akin."  As  "Frank  Forester,"  the  learned 
and  enthusiastic  master  of  true  sportsmanship,  he  makes  a  com- 
panion, as  it  were,  of  the  reader;  leads  him  forth  into  the  forest 
liaunts  he  so  well  loves  to  iVeiiuent,  and  in  glowing  colors  depicts 
beauties  which  had  been  hitlurto  unknown  or  unnoticed  by  the 
ardent  pupil.  '1  he  briglit  and  many-hued  garb  of  glorious  An- 
linnn,  the  prime  season  of  the  sportsman's  delight,  he  draws  with 
such  fidelity  to  nature  tliat  the  reader  is  fain  to  accept  his  por- 
traiture despite  the  teachings  of  the  lamented  P.ryant,  who  has 
in  his  immortal  verse  declared  it  "  the  saddest  of  the  year." 

It  would  seem  that  the  spirit  of  IIerfi.drt  is  still  witli  us,  and 
ministers  to  the  happiness,  the  instruction  and  the  well-being  of 
his  fraternity,  under  the  magic  guise  of  "  Frank  Forester."  In 
sooth,  "  it  carries  a  brave  form,  but  'tis  a  spirit."  We  feel  its  pres- 
ence;  we  are  cheered  by  the  in-pired  teachings;  and  under  the 
consolation  thus  alforded,  are  better  able  to  bear  the  loss  of  his 
material  form  and  awe-inspiring  presence.  This  kindly  spirit  let 
us  ever  cherish,  if  we  would  keep  pure  and  unsullied  the  sport 
and  sportsmanship  of  .\merica,  for  the  advancement  of  which  he 
uave  his  finest  works. 

And  now,  to  close  in  the  fitly  chosen  words  of  him  whose 
miscellaneous  writings  ho  thus  ushers  into  the  presence  of  the 
sporting    fraternity,    the    editor   has   undertaken    this   "  as   being 


12  /XTh'ODi-cronr. 

iiulct'd  a  labor  of  love,  lie  lias  l)ioui,'ht  to  it  tlic  wholo  of  his 
ciieifjios,  the  best  of  his  abilities;  and  tliouj;li  unused  to  sue  for 
public  favor,  he  does  so  far  deviate  from  his  accustomed  practice 
as  to  crave  this  iuduli^iMice:  that  all  the  censure  of  the  critics 
may  fall  upon  his  head,  while  all  the  praise  may  be  awaided 
where  it  is  only  due,"  to  the  deceased  sportiiij^  author. 

'I'luis  said  "  I'r.mk  I'orester"  in  i^onimitlinfj  the  "Sporting 
Scenes  and  Suiuiry  Sketches"  of  his  friend  "  |.  Cyi-kkss,  Jk."  to 
the  kind  consideration  of  the  critics  and  tlie  public.  Thus  saith 
the  editor  of  the  present  volume  to  you,  dear  reader,  and,  I  trust, 
not  unkind  critic. 


'iU; 


CTORV. 


jiouLjIit  to  it  tlic  whole  of  his 

iiui  thoiijjli   iinuseti  to  suf  for 

iVoni  his  accustomed  practice 

all   the  censure  of  the  critics 

I  the  praise  may  he  awarded 
<ed  sportiiif^  author. 

II  comiiiitliiif;  llie  "Sporting 
is  frieiul  "J.  Cyi'KKss,  Jk."  to 
■s  and  tlie  pidilic.  Thus  saith 
I  vou,  dear  reader,  and,  I  trust, 


MEMoiK  or  II.  w.  iii-rnri^i- 


iiv  wii.i.  wii.nwooii. 

'■pWHS'lY-FlVK   years  ago  there  stood  on  Ihe  hanks  ol   the 
1     I'assaic  River,  midway  between  Newark  and  HellevilK',  N.  J., 
■i   pleaMnii    and    picturesque  cottage,  of   the   Mary  'rud..r   st  x  le, 
endn.wered  in  foliage  and  surrou.uUd  hy  tall,  thrifty  cedars,  u.th 
avenues  and  beautiful  garden  in  close  proximity.     The  dwelling, 
a  neat  gothic  cottage,   with  mansard  roof,  uas  surroun.led   with 
pia/zas,  and  bv  balustrades  with  which  the  fragrant  unlrimmed 
cedar  boughs  were  thickly  interlaced;  and  the  tendrils  of  llowery 
vines,  creeping  in  and  out  among  the  latticework,  formed  a  most 
romantic    ;nd  striking  scene,  which  could   not   fail  to  attract  the 
bohokler.     Over  the  pia/za  in  front  might  he  seen  a  huge  pair  ol 
stag  antlers,  and  the  hay-window  on  one  side  gave  a  fine  view  ol 
the"  Passaic,   toward    which   the  green    lawn    sloped.     The    little 
domain  was  bordered  on  two  sides  by  the  Mount  I'lea-ant  Ceme- 
tery,  which,   with  the  wild    scenery    adjacent,   gave  the   place  a 
we^rd   appearance,  denoting  the  ecce.itricity  of  its  owner.     Nor 
was  the  interior  of  the  dwelling  less  romantic  than  its  extenor. 
The  neat  and  well  appointed  rooms  gave  token  of  a  master  mind. 
In  one  of  these  a  well-stocked  library  gave  evidence  ol  the  literaiy 
tastes  of  the  owner ;  another,  overlooking  from  the  wmdow  a  long 
row  of  dog  kennels,   was  hung    with   guns,   sabre.,  fishing-rods, 
and  other  implements  and  trophies  of  the  chase.     From  a  short 
'~^^-■X\^\'^   ni,  mmr   was   orii;iiK,lly  cn.Urilnitcil  f.  ihr  columns  of  th.it 
cKcdUMU  ,>CM-i<Hlioal.  •'HaUKvin's  Montl.ly,-  for  .-\pvil.  .^77,  l>y  the  c-ditor  ol  the 
present  volu.iu-.     Scver.il  new   a,ul   hnp'-rtant  additions  have  been  made  and 
emimdied  in  the  sketch,  whicl,  is  presented  in  lliis  connection  as  he.nn  apropos 
to  the  work,  and  to  fnrnish  information  upon  many  i.oinls  in  the  literary  career 
of  '•[•rank  Korestor"  which  may  prove  ol  service  to  the  ueneral  reader. 


'4 


MEMOIR  OF  II.  li'.  II EI! HE RT. 


distance  tliorc  appi-arcd  uliinpses  ot'ii  iini(nio  gotliic  cotlaua'  "tike 
the  wicker-woik  d'a  haskot  tilled  willi  I'.owors  and  lial I' buried  ii. 
green,  aromatic  verdure." 

This  was  the  residence  of  the  talented,  eectnlr'C  and  tanious 
writer,  scholar  and  sportsman,  IIi.nkv  Wiltia.m  IIkrmkiji, 
whose  sporting  works,  under  the  uom  dr pliinn:  of  "Frank  For- 
ester," are  known  and  appre;iated  wherever  tne  Knglish  lansjuaj^e 
is  spoken  or  the  gentle  scif  nee  of  wood-craft  practiced. 

'I'he  history  of  this  remarkable  personage  reads  almost  like  a 
romance,  so  eventful  and  distinguished  was  his  career,  and  so 
capricious  his  manner.  Horn  in  I^ondon,  April  7,  1807,  of  aristo- 
cratic parentage — being  son  of  W'ii.i.ia.m  II  i-.khf-.ijt.  Dean  of 
Manchester,  and  grandson  of  the  Earl  of  Carnarvon;  educated 
at  Eton  College  ami  Cambridge,  and  surrounded  with  the  fline- 
ments  of  courtly  society  ;  endowed  by  biith  and  education  villi 
a  most  enviable  position, — he  forsook  all  thes",  Ik. me.  kinlred 
and  statioii,  'o  carve  lor  himself  a  fair.e  in  the  Neu   World. 

Arriving  in  New  York  City,  he  enjoyed  a  few  days,  or  weeks 
perclKUice,  in  sightseeing,  and  thence  traveled  northward  into 
Canada  in  ijuest  of  sport,  being  an  entbu>ia>tic  di-cijile  of  Nim- 
rod,  and  passed  some  time  there  in  shooting  and  tUhing.  Here 
he  formed  the  accpiaintance  of  the  accomplished  sportsman,  Capt. 
I'eel,  of  Amherstburg,  well  known  to  the  s[rorting  Iraternity  of 
America  as  ''Dinks."  one  of  the  authors  of  a  valuable  work  on 
"The  Dog."  From  Canada  Mr.  IIi'.khkrt  came  again  to  New 
York  City,  where  his  superior  education  and  thorough  mastery 
of  the  languages  secured  him  a  situation  as  teacher  of  Cireek  and 
Latin  in  the  Classical  Academy  of  R.  T.  Iluddart.  His  duties 
occupied  but  a  small  portion  of  his  time,  and  he  soon  exhibited 
his  proficiency  in  literature  by  originating  and  editing,  in  con- 
iunction  with  A.  D.  Paterson,  the  'AnKiican  Monthly  .Mag;'- 
zine,"  a  periodical  whieli  soon  became  known  as  one  of  the  most 
original  and  ablest  sustained,  in  the  classic  elegance  of  its  con- 
tents, of  any  magazine  of  its  kind  in  America.  From  the  time 
of  the  establishment  of  the  >;iagaz.'ne,  in  183:;.  until  be  severed 
his  connection  with  it,  three  years  lat-r,  Mr.  1  licit i'.kkt  m.iintained 
the  high  literary  character  of  the  periodical,  ofieu  unaided  i)y  his 
co-editor.    The  magazine  afterward  passed  under  tlie  control  of 


his 


\\\ 


T 


UERlUiliT. 

I  iini(HH'  ijotliic  cottam'  "  like 
til  I'.owovs  iind  half  biiiicii  ii. 

I'littnl,  fi'ctntr'c  ami  t'anious 
;nkv  \V((,i,ia.m  IIkriikrt, 
vn  lie  pill  inc.  of  "I'Vank  Kor- 
iLTovcr  tne  Kiiijlish  laii<»ua;(c 
iod-craft  praiticecl. 
^rsDiiafff  reads  alinost  like  a 
-lied  was  Ills  cari'iT,  ami  so 
idon,  Apiil  7,  1S07,  of  aristo- 
l.r.iAM  I  li-.i<ni:i{T,  Dean  of 
arl  of  Caiiiaivoii ;  educated 
sunoiiiidi'd  with  the  1  "fine- 
ly birth  and  edueatioii  villi 
ik  all  tliei-'-,  h,.iiie,  kindred 
ir.e  in  the  New  World, 
njoyed  a  few  days,  or  weeks 
ice  traveled  noithwniil  into 
iitluiNia>tic  disciple  of  Niiii- 
-hooliiii;;  and  fi^hint;.  Here 
■ompiished  sportsman,  C'apt. 
o  the  s|rorting  fraternity  of 
:li<irs  of  a  vahiahle  work  on 
KUKRI'  came  again  to  New 
ition  and  thorough  inaster_v 
lion  as  teai'hi  r  of  fj reek  and 
R.  T.  lluddart.  His  duties 
:inie,  and  he  soon  exhibited 
inaling  and  editing,  in  con- 
"American  Monthly  Magji- 
:"  known  as  one  of  the  most 
classic  elegance  of  its  con- 

II  America.  From  llie  time 
e,  in  183.:,  until  he  severed 
■r,  Mr.  1 1  Jirsr.KKT  maintained 
iodicai,  often  unaided  i)y  his 
passed  under  tlie  control  of 


MEMOIh'  Ol'  II    "■.  1 1  F.I!  BURT. 


«5 


l-.nk    IJenjamm,  and  was   for   a   time   edited    by   Charles    IVnno 
llulVinan,  a  dislinguivhed  writer  and  ardent  sporlsuian. 

During  this  time,  he   lound   nnuh   lei^n-e  for  the   practice  ot 
his  favorite  Held  sports,  usually  visiting  the  Warwick  woodlands 
in  Orange  Counlv,  N.  Y..  where,  in  company   with  his  devotee 
friend,  Thomas  Ward,  he  enjoved  superb  sport  among  the  (piail 
and  woodcock.     Mr.  1 1  i.ki.kk r  afterward  immortali/.ed  his  ti  lend 
Ward,  presenting  him  to  the  sporting  public  under  the  transparent 
alia-  of  '•  Tom  Draw,"  bv  which  name  the  memory  of  Mr.  W  ard 
has  been   ensliriued   in    thousands   of    grateful    hearts.       In   the 
nnmediale  vicinitv  of  Newark   Mr.  llf.RiiF.i'T  also   f<.umi  ample 
use  for  his  gun,  in  snipe  and  wild-fowl  shooting,  and  li.s  sporimg 
-lie-,    are   filled   with  allusions  to  the  I'arsippany   Meadows   and 
o',„,r  lesort-    near    the   city  of  Newark,  Ihcugh   he  dwells  most 
loudly  upon  the  happv   hours  spent  in  the  woodlands  ot  Orange 
Countv,  with  his  genial  friend  "  Tom  Draw."'    In  his  fishing  tours 
among  the  lakes  of  the  Adirondacks,  or  the  clear,  cold  streams 
of   Canada,    IIkkhkut    was   usually   accompanied    by    NN  m.   1. 
i'orter,  the  accomplished  editor  of  the  old  "Spirit  of  the  Times," 
ur  some  other  of  his  many  angling  friends. 

In  1S34  the  Harper  Brothers  publislied  Mr.  Hkki.kkts  hrst 
work,  entitled  '•  riie  l^rothers."'  Although  published  anonymously, 
and  at  the  beginning  ^^\  his  literary  career,  the  work  was  well 
received,  and  pas-ed  through  several  editions.  Three  years  later, 
m  1S37.  his  second  work  "  Cromwell,"  a  tale  of  the  early  ages  ot 
|-ngland's  hi-torv,  was  published  by  the  Harpers,  and,  like  the 
tirst,  proved  descrvedlv  popular.  It  was  reissued  in  England, 
where  it  met  with  m.uch  favor.  During  1843  another  volume 
from  llKKMKUi's  pen  was  given  to  the  public,  entitled  "  Marma- 
duke  Wvvil;  or.  The  Maid's  Revenge.-  This  superb  story  of 
the  Kngiish  cixil  wars  passed  through  Iburteen  editions  in  ten 
vears,  and  was  republished  in  London.  "  Ringwood,  the  Rover," 
and  '■  Guarica,  the  Carib  Bride,"  spirited  novels  which  were 
originallv  published  in  the  magazines,  appeared  in  1844,  and 
attracted  much  admiration.  "  I'ierre,  the  Partisan,"  a  romance, 
appeared  one  year  later. 

H.  NV.  Hkruert'.s  greatest  historical  romance,  "  The  Roman 
Traitor,"  founded  on  the  conspiracy  of  Cataline,  was  published 


|6 


Mi:M()/h'  OF  II.  II  .  IIEHHEUT 


!  i 


in  1S46,  ;iiul  it  lias  l)een  I'stccnu'd  in  maiiv  respoclK  tin-  aiitlior's 
ablest  v.o.k.  It  is  umlciiiaMv,  in  all  iK  iU'tail> ,  one  ol'  the  tincst 
«()!  l<s  il.scriptivc  of  i'ail\  Roman  scenes  and  characters,  of  anv 
publislicil  in  modern  timen.  Imminent  critics  upon  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic  have  pronounced  it  unsurpassed  as  a  livini;  repre- 
siii;;;'ioi-.  of  tlie  manners,  custo:ns,  rnd  seiiii-barbari':  tliivalrv 
which  cliaracteri/ed  the  inliabilants  of  Ancient  Koine. 

About  this  *.ime  his  Hrsl  sporting'  work.  "The  Warwick 
Woodhiiids,"  which  had  previously  a;ipeared  in  \V.  T,  Porter's 
".\mericaM  Turf  Register,'"  was  pidilished  in  New  ^'ork.  Willi 
this  seri.il  Mr.  1 1  icmiKKT  fii-st  assumed  the  iiom  tit  plumr  of 
"  l'"rank  I'orester."  and  the  work  was  received  with  enthusiasm 
h_v  the  fralernitv  cf  American  sport,  iiu-n.  The  p()pularil\'  of  the 
work  induced  thi;  author  to  prejtare  aiu)ther  of  si-uijar  scope, 
uiulei- tiie  title  of  "Mv  .Shooting  I!ox,"  in  1846,  and  into  this  a 
thread  of  love  and  ronuiuce  was  wover,,  which  rendered  it  more 
attractive  to  the  general  pidilic.  "The  Miller  of  .MartijLtne,"  an 
attractive  and  readable  novel,  was  |)ublished  hv  Ricli.irds  k.  Co., 
New  \'ork,  in  lS47,  and  this  addeil  considerably  to  Mr.  lIioK- 
lU'.urs  literary  reputation. 

In  the  year  1S48  his  great  snorting  work,  "  I'ield  Sports  oft. 
United  .States  and  IJritish  Provinces  of  North  America,"  Stringer 
iV  Townsend,  publishers,  was  issued  in  New  York  city,  and  was 
greeted  with  the  warmest  enthusiasm  throughout  the  land.  As 
exemplifying  the  popidar  character  and  real  meiitof  this  great 
work,  nearly  twenty  editions  have  been  published  since  that 
time,  and  it  is  still  considered  a  tcatuiard.  A  memoir  of  the 
author  appears  in  the  later  editions.  "  Fish  and  Fishing  of  the 
United  States  and  British  Provinces,"  a  companion  volume  to 
the  tbrmer,  appeared  the  year  following,  1S49,  and  was  likewise 
favorably  received  by  the  sportsmen  of  A.nierica.  A  prominent 
and  pleasing  I'eature  of  the  work  consists  in  its  illustrations — 
about  one  hundred  in  number  —  designed  and  drawi;  on  wood  by 
the  author.  Both  this  work  and  •'  Field  Sports"  were  re-publislu.d 
in  London,  and  found  much  tavor  among  trans-Atlantic  as 
well  as  American  critics.  A  supplement  to  "  Fish  and  Fish- 
ing" appeared  in  1S50,  and  was  afterward  incorporated  with  the 
original  work.     "  ^ermot  O'Brien;  or,  The  Taking  of  Tredah," 


a   ro 

1 

Uiipl 

in    I 

i 

pubi 

" 

hist! 

{      inte 
j      aliei 

1         (CM 

/ 

1      Fra 

Ul 

con 

s.\n 

1       ■'^'•''' 

%      was 

ap|> 

COM 

1 

pre 

spo 

ant 

; 

■ 

Ne 

crp 
1  , 

\ 

lie 

in 

i 

wi 
.1- 

i        F< 

r.r 

: 

I'. 

II 

1 

tt 

1 

" 

1 

le 

N 
'1" 

; 

1 

1' 

i 

it 

i       ^ 

■ 

-J 

.  IIEUKEUT. 

inaiiv   respfcts  tlu'  aiitlior's 

ilsdi'tail',  one  of  tlic  Hiicst 
-■cnL's  ami  cliaractcrs,  of  any 
nt  Clitics  upon  both  siilos  of 
■iur|)assccl  as  a  living  rcprc- 

rnd  M'i;ii-l)ail)aii':  cliivalrv 
'f  Ancient  Kuiiit'. 
;iii,i;  work.  "  Tlie  Warwick 
a;i|U'ari\l  in  \V.  T,  Porter's 
ilislK'd  in  New  ^'ork.  With 
llincd  the  iiom  di  ptiintr  ol 
s  rocciveii  with  entliiisiasni 
men.  The  popularity  of  tlic 
e  another  of  .si-nilar  scope, 
X,"  in  1846,  ami  into  this  a 
en,  wliich  rendereii  it  more 
'he  Miller  of  .Martijjne,"  an 
dilished  by    Richards  A  Co., 

consideral)ly   to  Mr.   llioK- 

X  work,  "  I'ield  .Sports  oft. 
if  North  America,"  oirinyer 
in  New  York  city,  and  was 
1  tlirouifhout  the  land.  As 
and  real  nieiit  of  this  j;real 
been  published  since  that 
Atuiard.  A  memoir  of  the 
"  Kish  and  Fishinj;  of  the 
s,"  a  companion  volume  to 
ing,  1S49,  and  was  likewise 
of  Anierica.  A  prominent 
>t)sists  in  its  illustrations — 
;ned  and  drawi.  on  wood  by 
id  Sports"  were  re-publislud 
•  among  trans-Atlantic  as 
L-ment  to  "  Fish  and  Fish- 
t'ard  incorporated  with  the 
r,  The  Taking  of  Tredah," 


,UA,i/('//.' "/  //  II    ///-A-A'A:/.'/'  '7 

,   .omance    fro.n    I  Ii.m.kh  r's   pen,   appeared  in  .S,„,  and    '  The 
lipt,ins  of   the  Old   WorUl,"  a  most    valuable  historical    work, 
i„    ,8u.     The    latter,  and  "Captains  of  the  (ireat  Roman   Re. 
,H,,,,ie,"    (Irst   issued   in    1854.   -nay    be  deen.ed   fine  exa.nples  of 
historical   works  containing  the  reqniMte  <,ualities  of  absorb.ng 
interest,  pleasing  slvle  and  strict  a.lbereuce  to  tacts.      I  he  "Cay. 
aliers  of  England."  a  collec-mn  of  historical  rotnances.  formerly 
contributed  to  the   periodic    ,s,  a,  d    ■•The   K.dghts  of   England, 
France  and  Scotland,"  were  published  by  j.  S.  Redfu-ld,  N.  \  ., 
in    ,8^2.       Mr.   Iliunnn's   ..Chevaliers   of    France,"   likewise 
comprising  the  romance  of  history,  was  issued  in   1853.     In  the 
same  vear  his  excellent  sporting  work,  .'American  CJame  and  its 
Soasoi.s,"   with    illustrations  from  designs   prepared   by   himsell, 
was  presented   to   the    public   in    book    form,    having   previously 
..ppeared  a,,  a  serial  in  "  (Jraham's  Magazine."     The  engravings, 
conceded   to  be  among   the   finest    in    this    sphere   ol    art,   were 
prepared  by  ..Forester's"  friend,  Jos.  II.  ISrightly,  an  accomplished 
sportsman:     The    vear    1853   also    witnessed    the   publicalion    ot 
another   work    from    11.  W.  IIkkhbkt's   pen,   "  Phe   Puritans  ol 
New    i:n.;land:     a    Historical   Romance  of  the   Days  ol    Witch- 
cr.ft,"  and  of  an  admir.-ible  brochure,  "  The  (tiorndon   Hounds, 
descripiive    of     English     lox-hunling    as     pursued     =;»      ^'^;^''"' 
During   .8,6  the  above  sporting  tale,  together  with  '    1 1'^"  ^^ '"■; 
wick  Woodlands."  '.  My  Shooting  Uox,"  and  "The  Deei -stalkers 
appeared  in  o.,e  work  of  tv  o  volumes  under  the  title  ol  "  Irank 
Forester's  Sporting   Scenes  and    Characters,"  T.  H.  Peterson  & 
iiros.,  publishers,  I'hiladelphia. 

Mr.   Hkkhert's    '.Persons  and    Pictures    from    Irencb    and 
Fnglish   llistorv"was   produced    in    .854.  «"'!   his  "Memoirs  o 
Henry  VHi  ^.nd  bis  Six  Wives,"  "The  Falls  of  Wyalusmg,    and 
"  Sherwood  Forest;  or,  TUe  Wager  of  Hattle,"  in  .S55.    l-oreste-  s 
.'Complete  Manual  for  the  Young  Sportsman"  was  devised  in 
I8s6,  and  his  grand  work  en.itled  "Horse  and   Horsemanship  ol 
North  Atnerica,"  in    iSsT-     Of  this  superb  work  the  New  \  ork 
Tribune    has    remarked:       "This,    perhaps    the    most  elaborate 
production  of  its  versatile  author,  combines  a  vast   amount  of 
information  from  a  wide  range  of  authorities,  with  the  resu  ts  of 
his  own  extensive  observations  and  experience  in  u  line  ol  which, 


I» 


MEMOIR  or  II.  It  .  IIEIilililiT. 


I  , 


(■. 


l)v  his  piMsoiMl  |ial)it>  iiiul  taf«ti>^,  ho  bcciiim-  Vki\  nrc-omplihli.-il 
iiiaHtcr."  Ma' laiLT  editjoriK,  i-ilited  niiil  rfvi!.L',!  bv  S.  II.  ami  !,. 
C.  Ill  III  c',  irnil.T  It  ilu'  Ntaiularil  tiiMtisi'  oniii-  day  on  tlif  sid)iict 
of  «liiili  it  iii'ats.  "  Hints  to  1  lorsck.i-piTK,"  utid  "Tricks  and 
Traps  ol  I  lorscMlialcis,"  ••  I'oivsioi's"  latest  sporting  liiiHliiitcs. 
wn-f  piil.lisluil  in  iS^S;  and  "  Tlic  I'air  I'lnitaii,"  a  work  It-It  in 
nianust-ript  at  the  tiinf  ol  his  ikath,  has  hciii  ic-ci-nti_v  issued  l.v 
Lippini-ott.  ••Roval  Marirs  of  Modifval  llistorv '•  was  al-"o 
publislK'd  iilicT  till-  deniiso  of  tlio  author 

IJl-.NRY  Wii.i.iAM  Hkiuikkt  possess  il  a  lapacitv  lor  litorarv 
labor    which   was    in   truth    ni.irvclous.     W  hilr    onya^'cd    in    lliV 
pit-paration  ol'  his  inon-  clal).)ralc  roniaiui's  and  hi-lorical  ^^orl^s. 
hu  continued  his  conlrihutions  to  the   Ifadiiit;  jxriodiials  ol   the 
dav,  and  during  the  twent.v-Cive  years  oi'  his  literary  careei,  there- 
was  scarcely  a  magazine  of  note  to  which  he  did   not  contriliuti-. 
In  iS-}6  and  1837  he  edited  a  brilliant  annual,  "  The  Maiinolia,"  ns 
original  in  design  as  it  was  successlul  in  execution.     I'or   a    tinie 
iie  acted  upon  the  editorial  corps  of  the  "  Courier  and   Kiu)uiier," 
lor  which  he  wrote   reviews   and  critical  essays   for  a   series   ot" 
years.     In   18^9   II.  \\ .  llitRiiKKT,  in  conjuuclion   with  (.'olonel 
Thomas  I'icton,  a  gentleman  ol'  rare  lilerary   .iltainnunls,  and  a 
loniui  pupil  of  Mr.  IIkuukkt  at  lluddart's  Classical  .Vcadcmy, 
dovis.d  and  edited  " '!' he  Era,"  a   weekly  journal   of  real   merit, 
\\hich  survival  only  one  year.     -The  .Saclu'm"  was  established 
the  \.ar   followiujr,    and   was   edited    by    Thomas    I'icton,  II.  W. 
IIkkhkrt,    Win.    .North,    Major   Richardson,    Captain     liradley, 
(i.  (i.  I'oster  and  Dr.  Uatcheldcr.   To  these  journals  Mr.  IIkkiikkt 
contributed    several    entertainin},'  articles.      The  "  .Spirit   of   the 
Times"    was    ever    a    favorite    medium    through  which  '•  Frank 
Forester"   communed    with    the    sporlin},'    fraternity,    and   ••  The 
Knickerbocker     Magazine,"     "Ladies'    Companion,"     -(Kuley's 
Lady's  Hook,"  "Colman's  Monthly,"  •' .Sartain's  Maiiazin,',"  "  Th,' 
Literary  World,"  and  "The  American  Turf  Ue},'ister  ::ikI  .Sporting 
Magazine."  were  the  receptacles  of  many  bright  gems  from   his 
pen.     "  Cirabam's    Ma,!,'azire,"  however,  secured   Mr.   IIkkiikkt 
as  a  regular  contributor  when  first  originated  in  1S41.  and  duriuit 
the  next  fifteen  years  his  articles  forined  a  special  feature  of  that 
excellent  periodical.     To  this   magazine  he  contributed  poems. 


novc 

,ll-o 
tlir   • 

Milil 

scint 

spur 

was, 

iiuli 

1 

colh 

friei 

and 

of   > 

wor 

perl 

sati 

Ma; 

wa^ 

To' 

beii 

l.tb 

•T 

I'll 

1)^11 

\V 

as 

Ca 

the 

as 

th. 

wi 

lh( 

II 
\\( 

lai 


IIElilillHT. 

'■  lieciimc  an  nrcomplishnl 
tul  rfvJM'.!  bv  S.  II.  ami  I,. 
-i'  of  till-  dav  on  the  hubjcct 
uepi'iK,"  und   "  Tricks  and 

latest  K|>ortln((  hi-iHliiiri-K, 
ir  I'lirifiin,"  a  work  It-It  in 
as  been  rc'Ci-ntlv  i-siicd  by 
Jloval  llistorv"  was  aUo 
tliDr 

■NMcl  a  capacity  lor  literary 
•■  \\  hill'  i'nKa.!i'(l  in  iIk- 
aiii'fs  and  lii^lorical  works. 

Ifadiiii,'  |)tri()di(aU  ol'  tbc 
III'  bi-.  lilirary  i.ari'ii ,  tlieru 
licli  lie  dill  not  contrihiitf. 
muial,  "  The  MauMuilia,"  as 
ill  exeeiition.  I'or  a  time 
-■  "Courier  and  iMuiuirer," 
ical  essays  for  a  series  of 
conjuiu-liDU  with  Colonel 
iteraiy  attainnunls,  and  a 
ilart's  Clashieai  Acaileiny, 
kly  journal   of  real    merit, 

.Saclu-ni"  was  established 
ly  'I'bomas  I'icton,  1 1,  W. 
irdson,  taptain  liradley, 
esc  journals  Mr.  IIicrukkt 
les.  The  "  .Spirit  of  the 
1  tbroimh  which  '•  Frank 
ng    fraternity,    and   "The 

Companion,"  '•  ( Jodev's 
Sarlain's  Maifazin,',"  "  Tin- 
'nrl'  llej^istcr  and  .Sportinf; 
ny  brijjht  gems  from  bis 
r,  secured  Mr.  11kkiii:rt 
inated  in  1S41.  and  durirut 
d  a  special  feature  of  that 
lu   he   contributed  poems, 


MI.MiUR  i^r  II   II     lll.HnEliT 


>9 


novelettes,  sporting  tale,  and  learned  cs.nyK.  -  !■  rank  l-rester 
,d-o  wrote  several  arilcl.  s  up.n.  M'<'"i"K  -"»'J^-'-'"  ''""  ""'  1"'«;"*  "' 
,„e  .'Democratic  Review."  and  the  columns  of  the  •  SoutbeMl 
Military  (Ja/etb"  u.ul  M'orter's  Spirit"  were  enriched  by  the 
scitttilUtions  of  Ins  pen.  To  the  latter  be  contribute.!  a  beant.lul 
.porlin«  romnue  entitled  ■•  Oneemees,  the  I'.KCon  ot  the  ().„h. 
was,"  b.•uin•nn^.  with  the  initial  nt.n.ber  of  that  journal,  and 
ending  with  the  complcti(.n  ..f  volume  one. 

Ilesides  bis  fu,itive  writinK>,  ■'  Kr:.nk  Forester"  .dtted  a 
,olleclion  of  sporting  sketches  Iro.n  the  pen  of  bis  departed 
,Vi..ud  I,  CvpresH,  Jr.,  in  1841.  ^vitl'  <1»-  ""'•  <"'  "  ^1^'""'""  ^'^■'.'^" 
and  Sundiv  Sketches."  In  .H,.?  be  e.lited  at.  Amertcan  edttiot. 
of  Maj.  Walter  Ca-nphell's  "  (JUI  Forest  Uan^er."  a  debubttul 
work  descriptive  of  wild  sport  in  the  Orient;  and  in  iS.sf.  K.Tester 
perf..rmed  the  san.e  ollice  for  -  Sp..n«e's  Sportinu  lour. '  a  keen 
satire  or  burlesque  upot.  .vouldbe  sporting  char..cters.  D.nks, 
Mavbew  and  I  Intcbinson's  standard  work  upon  "The  Do-, 
was  edited  by  "  Frank  Forester"  in  1857,  a..d  published  by  W  .  A. 

Towiisinii. 

Mr    111  KB.  KT's   tianslations  deserve  particular  alliiition,  as 
hen.U  atno-.u  the  tnost  dilbcult  vet  ablest  executed  of  his  literary 
labors      His   tr.mslation   of    '■  (iold .miih's    History   ol    (.reeee,  ^ 
..The  I'romelheus  and  AKa.nemnon  of  .Kschylus,"  and  "Wetss' 
I'rotestat.i   Itetir^a •-■-."  have  recetved   the  largest  meed  ol  ap; 
hation    tron,    class.eal    critics,    and     bis    faithful    translatxms     .1 
\lc-cander   Dnttias'  •■  Diana  of  Meridor"   and  -Acte  of  Cor.nllt, 
as  well  as  "The  WanJerin-  Jew,"  '■  Matilda."  "Atar  (.ul,"  ••John 
Cavalier  "  a.,d  -The  SaU.mander,"of  KuKene  Sue,  are  pron.umced 
,be  best  of  our  tinrc.     In  tbi,  s,,bere  Mr.  ll-Kn.  ur's  at.aintnents 
as  a  classical  scholar  are  seen   to  be-l  adva..ta,ue.     Hi-   "  rronu- 
tbeus-    especiallv.    which,  was    undertaken    to    while   away    the 
winter  eveni.e^s'at  -  The  Cedars,"  has  been  adtnired  by  the  -nost 
Iborou-'h  scholar>  a.ul  the  U!r,al,  upon  both  sid.sol  the  Atla.U.e. 
A  eotnpelenl  writer  has  estimated  ih.u  the  fuj-ilive  writings  o! 
llBNKY  \Vil.l.l,\M  Hkki.kkt,  toMetb-r  with  bis  published  works, 
would  form  more  than  two  hundred   .•olunus.      This,  too,  when  a 
large  portion  of  his  titne  each  autu.n.i  and  spring  was  passed  m 


I 


id 


MliMOIliOF  H   W.  llhlh'limiT 


the  liclil  witli  rod  or  -in.;  ami  when  it  i«  taken  into  lonhidcriition 
(hat  liis  linii-  was  rmtluT  i:irciiin«cril)fil  In  otliiT  ilnticH,  omo 
iilea  tnav  In-  x-iiiu'il  oC  this  marvel  of  lilt-rarv  iniliistr\  .  Wlieii 
cni,'a:;iil  with  liis  pen  in  liiK  shiilv,  lie  wroti'  rapiilh,  and  l)v 
Kteaily  ap|)lieHli()n,  ev.n  atler  llie  iniilni>{lit  lionr,  aeeoin|)lihlieil 
woiulers.  Ilix  peninansliip  was  clear  anil  ilisliiut  a^  eoppi  r  plate 
alnio-t,  anil  reinarkal)l\  free  t'roni  blot  or  era'iine,  ami  even  in 
hilt  privafe  eiirreHpomlenec  the  same  care  anil  attention  was 
eviilhiteil, 

In  one  of  his  )iporlini{  lomts  throu-h  Maine  IIinuv  Wimia.m 
IIkkhk.kt  fornieil  the  ncquaintanee  of  Miss  Saiali  I'.arker,  u 
heanlit'iil  ami  aeeotnpli>luil  vonnn  laiiv,  ilaiij^hter  ol  the  then 
inavor  ol  l!aii>;or,  ami  in  iS?y  he  hronirlit  her  to  the  h_v  ineneul 
altar,  a  willing  hriile.  Tin'  talented  author  and  his  lovel;  wife 
enjoveil  a  few  yearn  onlv  of  iniilna!  happiiax,  when  she  died  of 
a  piilnionarv  alVeetion,  leaving  him  donlilv  desolate,  as  his  sever- 
ance from  lioine  and  eountry  had  been  complete,  lie  removed 
from  New  York  to  Newark  in  1845,  and  under  his  direction  was 
erected  the  beautiful  cottage  home  upon  the  I'as^aic,  which  he 
christened  "The  Cedars,"  and  its  asso'-blion  with  his  memory  is 
as  marked  as  is  "  .Simnyside"  with  thai  of  Washington  Irvin;;, 
"lillewild"  with  N.  I'.  Willis,  or  '•  (;  ,11/0  Hall"  with  the 
literary  fame  of  J.  I'enfimore  Cooper.  It  is  saiil  that  tor  a 
nnmber  of  years  after  the  dealli  of  his  wife  Mr.  Ill  khkkt 
allowed  but  one  unianuiit  loadoin  the  wall  of  his  stud v,  iianiel v, 
a  portrait  of  his  heart's  idol,  painted  by  tlie  imn.ortal  Henry 
Innian;  and  upon  certain  anniversaries  the  bereaved  sportinj; 
author  would  stand  for  hours  gaziny  upon  this  memenlo,  f.'ivinj; 
w.iy  to  the  most  intense  «rief  and  weepinj,'  bitterly  as  a  child  at 
the  remembrance  of  his  few  happy  years  and  the  sad  reflection 
upon  his  ),'ieat  bereavement.  II.  \V.  Hkkhi.kt  resided  at  his 
hermitage  in  comparative  seclusion,  seldom  courting  societv,  vet 
mai  itaining  in  his  jirelty  domain  a  sort  ol'  English  hospilalitv 
witl  his  fi  lends,  whom  he  would  entertain  in  the  best  style  his 
means  would  permit,  lieing  of  a  chivalrous  and  courtlv  bearing 
he  was  styled  "The  Lord  of  'The  Cedars,'"  a  title  in  itsell 
appropriaie,  though  it  was  applied  in  derision  by  his  enemies. 


» .  iiEiiiiiiur 

II  it  in  taken  into  cuiihiilLTUtion 
icrllicil  In  otiur  dutii-K,  omr 
I  ol'  liluran'  Ituluxtr^.  Wlu'ii 
Iv,  he  wrote  rapiillv,  aiul  by 
liiitliiiKlit  hour,  aecoinplihiieil 
III-  and  ilislinct  a->  copiu  r  platv 
blot  or  era-iine,  ami  I'veii  in 
nine    care    ami    attention    was 

iliu'li  Maine  lliAKY  W'ii.mam 
le  ot'  Miss  Saiali  llarker,  a 
;  ladv,  daiiyliter  ot  llie  then 
lironnht  her  to  Uie  li_\  nieneai 
il  aniliiii  ami  lli^•  lo\el\  wilV' 
I   liappim>*,  when  hlie  died  ol' 

iloul/lv  ilesojate,  as  his  sever- 
liecn  complete.  lie  reinoveil 
;,  anil  under  his  direction  was 
•■  upon  the  Passaic,  which  he 
sBO''t?iion  with  his  memory  is 

thill  ill'  Washington  Irvin;,', 
r  '•  (;  ..  L,'()  Hall  "  with  the 
loper.     It    is   said    that    tor    a 

of  his  wife  Mr.  IIiuiikkt 
the  wall  of  his  study,  namely, 
ted  hy  the  imiiiorlal  Henry 
sarie.s  the  bereaved  sporlinjf 
ly  upon  this  memenio,  ^'ivin^ 
weepin;,'  bitterly  as  a  child  at 
years  and  the  sad  retleelion 
W.  HlCKiii'.KT  resided  at  his 
,  seldom  courting  society,  \et 
I  sort  of  English  hospiialit\ 
ntertain  in  the  best  style  his 
'livalrous  and  courtly  bearing 
le  Cedars,'"  a  titli-  in  itsell 
I  derision  bv  his  enemies. 


MliMoili  itin   II'  III  h' II HUT. 


i\ 


In  pergonal  appearance*  Mu.  IIicuhku  i  was  above  the  meilium 
|,ei^'ht,  Hvminetrical  and  powerful  in   form,  with  a  iile.isinK  inim- 
tier  when   in  his    more   h«p|.y   moods,  which    could    not    fail    to 
attract  the  ■itlenlioii  of  u  casual  ol)«er^er,     Hi.  eyes  were  hnxht 
and    searchlnn;    IiIh    iVatures,    thouKh    renular    and    ntlraclive. 
betokened  a  Ihm  will  and  strum,'  passions.     He  usually  wore  a 
lieavy  iliul   luxuriant   moustache,  ami  a  piofuMon  of  brown   hair 
wan ''coolly  ilispart.d  Iroiii  his  white  unwrinkled  forehead."    Mr. 
lli;iini  KTwas  undeniably  pleasing  in  form  and  feature,  and  this, 
...mbiiied  with  his  eccentric  manner,  made   him  a  man  of  mark 
wherever  seiii.     His  womlcrlul  weallh  of  classic  lore,  bin  knowl- 
..diic  of  aneirnt  and  modern   literature,  his  prolkiency  in  all  that 
pertaiii.'d  to  out-door  sports  and  athletic   i.astimcs,  rendered  him 
an  agreeable  ctnpnnion  alike  in  the  field  or  in  the  study.     I'ew 
who  inet    him    ever    forgot    the    striking    ap|.earnnce,   and    still 
more  remarkable  conversational  ability  of  the  sporting  author. 
■Gloan,"  well  known  to  the  sportsmen  of  the  present  day  as  one 
of  the  most   pleasing  and  forcible  sporting  writers  of  the  time, 
alludes  with  feeling   to  the  sense  of  awe  and  admiration   will, 
which,  upon  one  or  two  occasions  in   his  youth,  he  ga/.>d  upon 
"Frank    Forester."     A    veteran    sportsman,   best    known    to   the 
sporting  public   under  the  pseudonym   of  "  Witch  Ha/el  Hud," 
pleasantly  delineates  the  early  impressions  received  in  shooting 
with    "Forester"    on  the   Jersey  meadows,  where    the    sporting 
outfit,  no  less  than  the  thorouKli    knowledge   of  sportsmanship 
exhibited  hy  the   immortal   disciple  of   N in, rod,  awakened   the 
admiration   and   wonder  of  the   whole  country  side.     "  Hakky" 
llERiiiJir,  as  he  was  familiarly  termed  by   his  intimate  friends, 
approached  nearer  to  the  model  of  a  true  sportsman,  and  /-</« 
ideal  of  a  sporting  author,  than  any  gentleman  of  the  age,  not 
*TliL-  portrait  of  H.  W.  Hkiii'ikkt  in  llu'  lirst  vnluim'  of  his  "  Kicjil  Sports 
of  llic  Unitfil  St;Ucs  :inil  Hritisli  fn.vincis  is  liUlf  licttir  tluui  a  mere  c;irii;i- 
Hire      It  has  iK'iu  pron.nn.LT.l  tiy  his  iiniuaintaiicos  ;.  hase  liljel  upon  his  nianly 
features,  ami  Ih.-K'iftecl  "Acorn"  asserts: -"It  is  no  more  like  Hkkhf.kt  than 
is  a  horse  to  a  l.orsc-.chestniit."    Tlie  most  aecnratc  likeness  of  "Our  I'rank" 
is  the  photograph  by  Zimmerman  Bros.,  St.    faill,   Minn.,   reproduced  from  a 
portrait  liy  Meade,  the  last  for  which  Mr.  IIkhhkkt  ever  sat.     This  is  a  laithlul 
and  tinely-executed  likeness  of  "Frank  Forester" -n  ■•<ou.,terreit  pre<enttnent" 
whiih  it  is  a  delii'ht  to  Kaze  upon. 


32 


MEMOIR  OF  II.  W.  HER  BERT. 


excepting  tl.e  world-renovvned   Appciluv,  or   "  Nunrod,"  whose 
famous  sporting  ^^<,rk^  l.ave  been   considered   matchless  bv   his 
admirers.    Mr.  I  Ikki.kkt  is  exceilentl  v  re].reseuted  in  the  ticu'tious 
character    wiio   'igures   so  conspicuously   and    i)leasin-!v   in    liis 
sporting  tales  as  "  Harry  Archer,"  wiio  was  beyotul  a  doubt  given 
as  tiie  author's  idea  of  a  perfect  sportsman.     'I'hat  he,  llie  author, 
excelled  in  athletic  and   field  sports,  is  not  so  much  a  matter  ot' 
surprise  when  we  reflect  that  his  youth  and  early  manhood  was 
passed  among  scenes  and   associations  well  calclilated   to   foster 
and  strengthen  his  sporting  proclivities,  his  father,  the   Dean  of 
Manchester,  being  an  accomplished  and  enthusiastic  sportsman; 
and    the  varied  experience   in  shooting  and   tithing   throughout 
Kngland  and  .\nierica,  combined  with  the  scholastic  attainments 
of  Mr.  IlKKMKRT,^''  comprise  a  category  of  aequirenunts  such  as 
we  may  scarcely  hope  to  see  reproduced  in  a  sporting  writer. 

'J-he    later    years   of   IIkxky    W.li.i.vm    1  Ikri.kkt'.s    life  are 
enveloped  in  a  maze  of  brilliant  achievements  and  correspond- 
mgly  nitter  disappointments,  until  his  naturally  proud  and  self- 
rehant  spirit  was  bowed  and  finally  crushed  by  weight  of  sorrow. 
His  alienation  from  home  and  country  doubtless  depressed    him 
greatly  after  the  loss  of  his  wife,  by   whom   he  had  a  son,  who 
was  sent  to  England  to   be  educated,  and   the   loneliness  of  his 
situation  became    still    more    irksome    as    the    vears  passed  and 
middle-age  was  reached,  arousing  anew  his  longing  for  home  ties 
During  the  winter  of  ,858  .Nfr.  llKiu.KRr  met  a  young  ladv  of 
beauty  and  reputed   wealth,   Miss  Adela  R.   Budlon-,  of  I'rovi- 
dence,    Rhode  Island,     an.l    after   a    brief  aequaintaiile  of  three 
weeks,  the  twain  were  married  in   Newark.     For  a  time  all  went 
"merry  as  a  marriage-bell,"  and  the  sporting  author   was   even 
more  assiduous  than  before  in    his   literary  labors.      JJnt   a   few 
*  The  most  complete  and  spiritc.l  reconl  of  ••  I.-ranIc  t.'orester's"  litenuv  c-,reer 
IS,  beyond  a  d„ul,t,  tl.e  „„ic,„e  serial  by  a  pleasinj;  an.l  able  writer  l,eari„..  the 
pseudonym  „(   -  T.,xopI,ilus.      Tins  serial  was  published  in  \-oh„„e  ,  o'l- the 
I  l>.caKolMeld,"  under  the  title  of -Foresterian  Hibiin,,,raphv,"  and  contains 
iK-s.des  a  nun,l,er  of  r.ne  selections  iVnm  Hkkmkkt's  fugitive' writings,  ajndi- 
c.ous  deser.puon  of  ...is  works  and  literary  lalws;  beintf,  in  short,  a  graphic 

and  well-directed  labors  in  this  direction,  -Toxophilus''  deserves  the  thanks  of 
every  lover  ot  American  sporting  literature. 


nialx 
upon 
relali 
sland 
Miinvi 
uniiui 
vainl; 
wlion 
and  V 
had  t 
shattt 
just  tl 
shot  i 
York 
com  IT 
State; 
exoiiL 
death 
sionat 
untiii 
peiini 
appea 
who  1 
seiz'ji' 
reven 
A I 
remai 
wild, 
beeati 
drcn 
that  i 
niystt 
to  anc 
cedars 
was  o 
conne 
groun 
scarct 


■&t 


HERBERT. 


.^FEMor/i  OF  II.  W.  URRHERT. 


I'lk'v,  01-  "  Niiniod,"  wliose 
onsidoiL-d  matchless  bv  his 
y  rejii-L'sculLcl  in  tlio  liccitious 
iislv  aiul  iiicasinijly  in  his 
<)  was  buyotul  a  doubt  given 
-nian.     Tliat  hf,  llie  author, 

is  not  so  much  a  matter  of 
111  and  early  manhood  was 
IS  well  calculated  to  foster 
ies,  his  father,  the  Dean  of 
mi  enthusiastic  sport-man; 
ly  ami   ti-hinj,'   throui^hout 

the  scliolastic  attainments 
■y  of  acquirements  sucli  as 
cd  in  a  sporting  writer. 
I.IAM  lIiiRHKR-r's  life  are 
evements  and  corresjioud- 
>  naturally  proud  and  self- 
ished  by  weight  of  sorrow. 
•  doubtless  depressed  liim 
whom   he  had  a  son,  who 

and   the   loneliness  of  his 

as  the  years  passed  and 
■  his  longing  for  home  ties. 
■'-i«i'  met  a  young  lady  of 
:1a  R.  Budlong,  of  I'rovi- 
■ief  acquaintance  of  three 
lark.  For  a  time  all  went 
porting  author  was  even 
-rary  labors.      IJut   a   few 

'"ranic  Fdrcstcr's"  litunu-y  career 
IK  anil  able  writer  hearitiir  the 
published  in  X'oiuine  5  of  the 
1  Hiblioi;rapliy,"  aiul  contains. 
■kt's  I'ufjitivf  writinjjs,  ajudi- 
ors;  beinif,  in  .sliort,  a  grapliic 
e  as  an  author.  For  liis  carelnl 
pliilus''  deserve.s  tlie  thanks  of 


niaKcious  I'ossips,  during  his  brief  absence  from  liome,  seized 
upon  the  opportunity  to  poison  bis  wife's  mmd  against  him  bj- 
relating  garbled  versions  of  his  dissipation  and  moiie  of  lite.  'I'he 
slander  so  inllucnced  the  credulous  young  bride  that  she  deter- 
mined to  live  no  longer  with  her  husband,  who  was  shocked  ajul 
unmanned  upon  his  return  to  find  her  estranged.  Long,  tliougii 
vainly,  he  eiul.'avored  to  call  back  the  alienated  allection  of  her 
whom  he  loved  so  passionately  ;  but  she  let'used  a  reconciliation, 
and  when  lie  learned  through  bis  lawyer  in  New  York  that  she 
had  taken  steps  to  procure  a  divorce  in  Iiuliana,  his  mind  was 
shattered,  and  about  two  o'clock  on  the  iiiijrning  of  Nhiv  17,  iSs*^. 
just  three  montlis  after  his  last  marriage,  the  unlbrtimate  author 
shot  iiiinself  to  the  heart,  in  his  room  at  the  .Stevens  House,  New 
York  City.  liesides  a  few  letters  to  intiniate  friends,  iu;  lel'l  a 
communication  to  the  coroner,  and  one  to  the  press  of  the  I'nited 
States,  explaining  his  tviotives  for  the  deed,  and  also  charitably 
exonerating  his  wife  from  all  blame.  Tlie  sad  news  of  iiis  tragic 
death  spread  with  electric  rapidity,  and  many  were  the  compas- 
sionate and  regrettui  comments  of  the  public  press  upon  his 
untimely  demise.  "Acorn."  a  devoted  triend  and  able  writer, 
penned  a  touching  tribute  to  his  memory,  and  bv  an  eloquent 
appeal  checked  the  unt'eeling  and  malicious  criticisms  of  those 
who  had  imbibeil  an  enmity  against  Hkrhickt  while  living,  and 
seized  upon  this  opportunity  to  gratify  a  contemptible  motive  of 
revenge. 

.\fter  thedeath  of  Hkn-ry  Wit.l^iAM  Hick,  'cut,  '■  The  Cedars" 
remained  for  some  time  unoccupied,  and  the  Ov, ?'Hmr.  with  its 
wild,  weird  surromidings.  and  melancholy  associations,  soon 
became  known  as  "the  haunted  bouse  of  Newark."  Little  ciul- 
dren  passed  the  spot  with  feelings  of  awe,  and  many  averred 
that  in  the  still  twilight  or  -deep,  sombre  darkness,  strange, 
mysterious  noises  issued  from  the  desolate  dwelling,  lights  llitted 
to  and  I'ro  througii  the  tenantless  rooms,  and  tlie  wide-spreading 
cedars  moaned  and  sighed  in  mournl'ul  cadence.  This,  of  course, 
was  only  superstitious  hallucination,  due  to  the  romantic  interest 
connected  with  the  spot  and  the  proximity  of  the  cemetery 
grounds.  Years  ago  the  dwelling  hurned  to  the  ground,  and 
scarce  a  vestige  remains  of  a  place  hallowed  in  the  memory  of 


MEMOIR  OF  //.  W.  l/E/i/iEh'T. 


all  Aincrican  sportsmen.  The  ruins  have  bein  mostly  reinovcil 
to  enlar^'C  tlio  cemetery  boundaries,  and  the  clinging  vines  upoi 
the  crumbling  ruins,  and  a  lew  cedars,  onl\  remain  to  mark  tin- 
spot  where  once  lived  o.ie  ol'  the  most  versatile,  talented  and 
eccentric  of  authors  on  the  American  continent.  The  tomb  ol 
the  imlortunate  writer  and  sixirt^man,  which  occupie--  a  central 
location  in  the  .Mount  I'leasant  Cemeterv,  was  for  many  years 
unmarked  bv  stone  or  tablet  which  miijbt  serve  to  inark  h.is  la-t 
resting-place  to  the  wayfarer  who  sought  it;  but  during  the 
Centennial  year,  on  the  eighteenth  anniver-ary  ot"  Mr.  IlKKni'.K  i  's 
hui  ial,  the  citizens  of  Newark  placed  at  his  ln-ad  a  suilab'  ■  memo 
rial,  as  a  token  of  his  worth  and  the  high  esteem  in  which  he 
was  held  bv  his  fellow  citizens. 


ITS     > 


T,I 


!'■ 


t 

whet 
A  me 
or  m 
wide 
restr 
\ 
then 
tiatit 
conf 
kno' 
gent 
and 
of  y 
and 
spec 

rare 


r 

Kcvi 
fill  • 
have 
clout 


'.  iiERBEirr. 

»  have  bern  mostly  rcmovi.'il 
and  the  cliiifjing  vines  upon 
rs,  onlv  ri'inain  to  iniiik  tin- 
most  versatile,  talented  and 
:an  continent.  The  tomb  '>! 
lui,  which  occupies  a  central 
meterv,  was  tor  nianv  vears 
niitjbt  serve  to  mark  his  last 
D  sought  it;  but  during  tlie 
iiniver-ary  of  Mr.  1 1  KKni'.K  i '.s 
I  at  his  lu-ad  a  suilab'  ■  memo 
he   biiib  esteem   in   wliich  he 


THE  (iAME  OF  NORTH  AMERICA; 


,TS     NO.MKNCI.Ml=RK,      ..Amrs,      IIAINT.S      ANM     SLASO.Ns,     Wnil 
IIINT.S   ON    THE    SCIENC1-.   OF    WOOIH  RAI-  T. 


IIV     FKANK     FOHESTEK. 


I. 

1'*HERF,  i~,  perhaps,  no  country  in  the  world  which  presents  to 
the  sportsman  so  long  a  catalogue  of  the  choicest  game, 
whether  of  fur,  tin  or  leather,  as  the  Vnited  States  of  North 
America;  there  is  none,  probably,  which  counts  more  numerous 
or  more  ardent  devotees ;  there  is  none,  certamly,  in  which  the 
^^ide•spread  passion  for  the  chase  can  be  indulged  under  so  few 
restrictions,  and  at  so  trilling  an  expense. 

Yet,  all  this  notwithstanding,  it  is  to  be  regretted  greatly  that 
there  is  no  country  in  which  the  nomenclature  of  these  fcr<r 
,i„/,(n/\  these  roving  deni/ens  of  wood,  wold  and  water,  is  so 
confused  and  unscientific;  none  in  wliich  their  habits  are  so  little 
known  and  their  seasons  so  little  regarded;  none  ir.  which  the 
gentle  craft  of  venerie  is  so  often  degraded  into  mere  pot  hunting; 
and  in  which,  as  a  natural  consequence,  the  game  that  swarmed 
of  vore  in  all  the  fields  and  forests,  in  all  the  lakes,  streams,  bays 
and  creeks  of  its  vast  territory,  are  in  such  peril  of  becoming 
speedily  extinct. 

That  in  a  nation  every  male  inhabitant  of  which  is,  with  but 
rare  exceptions,  a  hunter,  and  ready  with  the  gun  almost  beyond 
■n.is  surics  ot  sketches  was  contributed  tn  the  panes  of  ti.e  ••Dc.nocratir 
Review  "  in  iM;-".  In-  -I'-r-ink  Forester."  and  forms  tlic  nucleus  of  his  delight- 
ful "Kield  Si.orl.."  Several  passaKcs  of  the  articles  presented  in  the  serial 
have  been  incorporated  in  that  work,  but  the  repetith.n  of  such  portions  will  no 
doubt  be  pardoned  by  the  reader,  viewing  its  interest  as  a  whole.-ED. 


2(> 


THE  woorrncK. 


example,  this  sliould  be  tl>e  case,  can  be  explained  only  by  the 
tact  that,  as  I  have  said  before,  little  is  known  K«-'nerally  of  th, 
habits  of  K'ame;  and  that  the  rarest  and  choicest  are  slaughtered 
inconsiderately,  not  perhaps  wantonly,  at  such  times,  and  in  such 
manners,  as  are  rapidly  causing  them  to  disappear  and  become 

extinct. 

That  such  is  the  case,  can  he  proved  in  a  few  words,  and  by 
'reference  to  few  examples,  the  most  evident  perhaps  of  which  is 
the  absolute  extinction  of  tlust  noble  bird,  the  heath  hen,  or 
finmitcl  i;ro„sc,on  Long  Island,  xvhere  ^vithiu  the  memory  ol 
our  elder  sportsmen  they  might  be  taken  in  abundance  at  the 
proper  season,  but  where  not  a  solitary  bird  has  been  seen  for 
yea.s.  In  lb-'  pines  on  the  southern  shores  of  New  Jersey,  and 
in  the  oak-barrens  of  northeastern  I'ennsylvania,  the  same  1  irds 
were  also  plentiful  within  a  few  years;  but  now  they  are  indeed 
rara  arcs;  and  after  a  few  inore  returns  of  the  rapidly  succeeding 
seasons,  they    will  be  no  more   known  in  their  old-accustomeu 

places. 

The  destruction  of  this,  the  finest  of  our  gallinaceous  game, 
,s  ;o  be  attributed  wholly,  in  all  the  districts  I  have  enumerated, 
to  the  same  cause,  the  havoc  made  among  them  at  periods  when 
a  little  knowledge  of  their  habits  would  protect  them  from  the 
most  ruthless  not  hunter;  the  season,  I  mean,  when  they  are 
occupied  in  laving,  hatching,  or  rearing  their  young  broods, 
during  which  to  kill  the  parent  ensures  the  loss  ol  the  whole 
hatching-cruellv  famished  orphans;  a  veritable  illustration  ol 
the  fable  v'hich  he  Uls  up  to  contempt  and  laughter  the  slayer  ol 
the  goose  which  laid  the  eggs  of  gold. 

In  all  the  European  countries,  writers  on  all  branches  ot 
sporting  have  long  abounded;  many  of  them  high  of  birth,  many 
of  them  distmguisl-.ed  in  the  world  of  science  or  ot  letters,  some 
even  of  the  gentler  sex.  The  greatest  chenust  of  his  day,  Sir 
Uumphrcy  Daw,  was  not  ashamed  to  record  his  piscatory 
experiences  in  "Salmonia,"  a  work  second  only  in  freshness  and 
attraction  toil,  prototype  by  old  T.aak  Walton.  That  lair  and 
eentledame,  luHanaHerncrs,deen.ed  it  not  an  untem.n.ne  task 
io  indite  whai,  to  the  present  day,  is  the  text-book  of  falconry; 
and   hapless,  beautiful   Jane  Grey   thought  she   had  given   the 


roCK. 

\\\  be  explained  only   by   the    1 
le  is  known  ^eneniUy  of  tin 
and  choicest  are  slaughtered 
ilv,  at  such  times,  and  in  sucli 
em   to  disappear  and  become 

oved  in  a  few  words,  and  by 
t  evident  perliap-^  "f  which  is 
loble  bird,  the  heath  hen,  or 
where  \vithin  the  memory  of 
)e  taken  in  abundance  at  the 
litary  bird  has  been  seen  for 
■n  shores  of  New  Jersey,  and 
Tennsylvania,  the  same  birds 
irs;  but  now  they  are  indeed 
urns  of  the  rapidly  succeeding 
lown  in  their  old-accustomeci 

est  of  our  gallinaceous  game, 
le  districts  I  have  enumerated, 
;  among  them  at  periods  when 

would  protect  them  from  the 
ason,    I    mean,  when   they  are 

rearing  their  young  broods, 
insures  the  loss  of  the  whole 
uis;  a  veritable  illustration  of 
mpt  and  lau'^hter  the  slayer  of 
;old. 

L's,  writers  on  all  branches  of 
ny  of  them  high  of  birtii,  many 
d  of  science  or  of  letters,  some 
■eatest  chemist  of  his  day,  Sir 
amed  to  record  his  piscatory 
k  second  only  in  freshness  and 

Izaak  Walton.  That  fair  and 
n.ed  it  not  an  unfeminine  task 
>•,  is  the  text-book  of  falconry  ; 
;y    thought   she   had  given   the 


rut:    WOODCOCK. 


37 


.xlremest  praise  lo  Plato's  eloquence  when  she  prefernd  it  to 
,1a.  music  of  ihe  hounds  in  -I.e  wild  green  *ood.  lU.I,  till  withii> 
,hi  last  few  veai  s,  America  has  found  no  son  to  record  the  teats 
„|-  iKT  bold  and  skillful  hunters;  to  build  theories  on  the  results 
of  their  experience;  m  plead  the  cause  of  her  persecuted  and 
almost  extermmated  game. 

Within  the  last  few  years,  however,  much  has  been  ilone. 
A  whole  host  of  sporting  writers  have  sprung  up  ia  all  (luarters 
of  the  land,  having  their  rendezvous  and  rallung  poml  in  the 
columns  of  the  '•  Spirit  of  the  Times." 

Most  of  Ihe-e  writers  have  aspired,  indeed,  rather  to  enterta.n 
iban  to  instruct;  rather  to  depict  scenes  and  inciuents  to  the  life, 
than  to  draw  from  those  scenes  a  moral  and  a  theory.  How 
amply  thev  have  succeeded,  1  need  not  say  to  those  who  are 
acquainted  with  the  writings  of  N.,  of  .\rkansas;  Tom  Owen, 
,he  lice  Hunter;  Dr.  Henry,  of  Quebec;  J.  Cypress,  Jr.,  ot  New 
York;  and  others  whose  name  is  legion;  but  to  those  who  arc 
i..norant  of  this,  perhaps  the  most  original  branch  of  our  national 
lUerature,  I  -nav  be  allowed  to  say  that  it  is  lobe  surpassed  in  Us 
own  line  in  n,."  Kuropean  language;  and  that  Nimrod,  Hawker, 
lieckford  and  lolfrey,  of  English  notoriety,  would  lose  non.-  ol 
their  laurels  by  being  compared  to  the  least  excellent  of  these 
writers. 

I  have  mvself  long  felt  a  humble  pride  in  being  able  to  sub- 
scribe myself  as  one  of  the  earliest  laborers  in  this  fruitful 
vineyard,  ever  endeavoring  to  blend  with  such  incidents  and 
anecdotes  as  my  poor  skill  might  device  f  .•  the  amusement  of 
mv  readers,  some  facts  ascertained  by  a  long  experience  of  field 
sports,  both  here  and  in  other  lands;  and  some  pleas  in  behalf  as 
well  of  the  gentle  science  itself  as  of  the  wild  animals  which  it 
teaches  us  alike  how  to  pi'irsue  and  slay  when  ///,  and  how  to 
spare  when  out  of  srusoii. 

So  much  has  been  already  accomplished  by  the  elVorts  of 
many  among  those  whom  I  have  named,  r.nd  so  well  am  I 
convinced  that  the  most  excellent  results  may  be  obtained,  as 
relating  to  the  pieservation  of  our  game,  from  a  wider  dissemina- 
tion of"facls  connected  with  its  habits,  haunts  and  seasons,  that  I 
have  embraced  with  real  pleasure  the  opportunity  of  presenting 


^R 


j8 


Till':   WOOJJCOCK. 


mv  vicw^  U>  llic  miiiu'roiis  readers  of  a  work  holdinj;  so  lii>;li  a 
fliar.icU'r  as  this  review,  as  many  persons  may  be  induced  to  pay 
some  attention  to  paprrs  from  respect  to  their  medium,  which 
they  mi^lit  not  h.ive  heen  led  into  tlie  wav  of  rendint,'  liad  tliey 
appeared  in  a  purely  sportirif;  periodical. 

With  tiicse  few  general  remarks,  I  shall  plunge  at  once  /// 
iiirdids  rc.<,  commencing  my  series  on  the  Game  of  North  America 
with  the  bird  dearest  to  the  thorough  sportsman. 


that  ifi 
taken  t 
vouch 
doubt  fi 
every  \\ 
after,  ji 
yet,  th; 
circum 
To  I 


7JIE  WOODCOCK, 

Hcotof'iix  Minor,  as  he  is  judiciously  termeil  by  n.ituralists,  to 
distinguish  him  lVo:n  his  European  hrotlicr,  Scofolux  Jiiislicohi, 
w  hicli  is  above  onethiril  larger  and  heavier  in  llie  ratio  of  sixtei'ii 
to  nine,  the  mud  snipe,  blind  snipe,  or  bightaded  snipe,  as  he  is 
variously  called  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  mav  be  termed 
an  amphibious  bird,  and  is  nearly  allied  to  the  waders,  lie  haunts 
woodland  sireams  and  swamps;  sunny  hillsides  covered  with 
s.iplings,  if  contiguous  to  wet  feeding  grounds;  wide  meadows 
intci>persed  with  lulls  of  aldeis  or  willows;  and  at  tinus,  and  in 
peculiar  di:;lricls,  open  and  grassy  marslies,  quite  destitute  of 
underwood  or  ti.'nber. 

With  us,  of  the  Northern  States,  he  is  a  summer  bird  of 
passage,  as  lie  may  be  termed  with  propriety;  although  he  pays 
us  his  aimual  visit  earlv  in  spring;  sometimes,  in  open  seasons, 
before  the  last  moon  of  winter  has  waned  her  snowy  round,  and 
defers  his  dep.uture  until  the  very  end  of  autumn.  In  the 
Southern  States,  on  the  contrary,  he  is  found  only  during  the 
short  and  genial  winter,  quittii;g  them  altogether  during  the 
overpowering  heals,  which  our  water-loving  friend  finds  unen- 
durable. In  reply  to  a  question  which  T  pn^pounded  some  years 
since  to  the  readers  of  the  New  "\'ork  "Turf  Register,"  "whether 
in  sol't  and  sheltered  situations  of  the  most  northern  of  the 
.Southern  .States,  the  woodcock  may  not  be  found  throughout  the 
year,''  I  was  informed  by  an  anonymous  correspondent  that 
among  the  higher  valleys  of  the  Appalachian  chain  such  is  the 
case  throughout  the  southern  portion  of    that  great  ridge;  and 


for  it  is 
follow! 
it  shoi 
howevt 
bird  I  1 
for  mis 
the  con 
and  of 
sununi 
by  the 
son  in 
cock  ii 
wlien  I 
July  da 
either 
Minor 
Thi 
from  ei 
his  exi 
measui 
the  bil 
eightee 
curiou' 
of  a  h 
taperin 
ing  coi 
exquisi 
gular  i 


i)CK. 


THE    WOODCOCK. 


29 


a  work  lidktiiij;  so  liiyli  a 
oils  may  Ik'  iiuiuciil  to  pav 
■t  to  their  nu'cliiiiii,  which 
;  way  of  rtndint,'  liad  they 
al. 

I  shall  phingo  at  onci'  /;/ 
Ir'  Game  of  North  America 
sportsman. 

:ocK, 

ly  lerineil  by  naturalists,  to 
irother,  Scofohix  Ritstkola, 
•avier  in  liie  ratio  of  sixtei'n 
liiK-htaiietl  snipe,  as  lie  is 
he  country,  may  be  termed 
:l  to  the  waders,  lie  haunts 
iny  hillsides  covered  witli 
^  j;rounds;  wide  meadows 
Hows;  and  at  liiius,  and  in 
narslies,   quite   destitute   of 

,  he  is  a  summer  bird  of 
)ropriety  ;  altliougli  he  pays 
ometimes,  in  open  seasons, 
ined  her  snowy  round, and 
end  of  autumn.  In  the 
\  is  tbund  only  during  the 
lem  altogether  during  the 
r-Ioving  friend  finds  unen- 
li  T  propounded  some  years 
"'I'urf  Register,"  "whether 
the  most  northern  of  the 
lot  he  found  throughout  the 
lyinous  correspondent  that 
)alachian  chain  such  is  the 
n  of   that  great  ridge ;  and 


that  in  the  northern  parts  of  Virginia  especially  they  are  to  be 
taken  al  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Vm  this  fact,  however,  1  cannot 
\ouch  on  my  own  knowledge,  and,  indeiil,  1  am  somewhat 
doubtful  of  its  correctness.  I  prefer,  therefort',  to  consider  it  as 
everywhere  migratory;  and  of  its  migrations  I  shall  speak  here- 
after, premising  only  that  they  are  but  parrially  understood  as 
vet,  that  much  mystery  is  connected  with  them,  and  that  their 
eircumstances  are  as  interesting  as  ihey  are  curious. 

Todesciibe  minutely  a  bird  so  well  known  throughout  the 
length  and  hreaillh  of  the  cultivated  jiortious  of  North  America— 
for  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  he  is  never  found  in  the  wilderness, 
following  everywhere  the  skirts  of  civilization— would  be  a  work, 
it  should  seem,  of  su|)ererogalion.  I  shall  say  a  few  words, 
however,  of  his  general  appearance,  in  order  to  indicate  the  very 
bird  I  mean  to  my  readers,  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  mistake; 
for  mistakes  are  indeed  possible,  owing,  as  I  have  observed,  to 
the  confused  nomenclature  of  game  prevailing  in  this  country; 
and  of  this  I  am  a  good  witness,  as  f  was  once  dragged  up  to  the 
summit  of  one  of  the  highest  hills  in  Orange  County,  New  York, 
by  the  reiterated  assertions  of  a  very  intelligent  lad,  a  farmer's 
son  in  the  vicinity,  that  he  could  show  me  more  than  fifty  wood- 
cock in  that  unusual  and  remote  spot;  the  woodcock  proving, 
when  I  had  climbed  the  ridge,  breathless  and  spent,  on  a  broiling 
July  day,  to  be  large  red-headed  x.ood pickers!  utterly  worthless 
either  for  sport  o>-  for  the  table,  and  no  more  like  to  Scohpax 
Minor  than  was  Hyperion  to  a  Satyr. 

This  beautitui  bird,  then,  varying  in  weight,  when  full  grown, 
from  eight  to  eleven  ounces — I  have  heard  of  but  one  instance  of 
his  exceeding  the  latter — is  about  thirteen  inches  in  length, 
measured  tVom  the  tip  of  the  bill  to  the  extremity  of  the  toes, 
the  bill  alone  exceeding  one-Tourth  of  the  whole  length,  and 
eighteen  in  breadth,  from  tip  to  tip  of  the  expanded  wings.  The 
curiou'  instrument  by  which  he  obtains  all  bis  nourishment  is 
of  a  highly  polished,  horny  substance,  stout  at  the  base,  and 
tapering  gradually  to  the  tip,  where  the  upper  mandible,  project- 
ing  considerably  beyond  the  lower,  is  terminated  in  a  knot  of 
exquisite  delicacy  and  sensibility.  The  head  is  somewhat  trian- 
gular in  shape,  with  the  large,  full  black   eye— constructed,  as  i.i 


30 


THE  WOODCOCK. 


tlie  case  of  all  birds  whicli  tly  or  feed  In'  ni),;lit,  so  as  to  catcli 
and  concenlralc  every  ray  of  li^lit — situate  n»'aror  tlie  apox,  or 
crown,  than  in  any  other  bird;  a  peculiarity  which,  iiilded  to  the 
unusual  size  ol  the  hi'ad,  gives  a  l"(>oli^li  and  chinisy  air  to  this 
otlierwise  bcantilnl  little  I'owl.  the  brow  of  the  ailnlt  bird  is  of 
a  grayish  white,  j;radual!y  daikenini,'  until  it  reaches  the  crown, 
where  it  is  shaded  into  the  richest  black.  'I'he  whole  hinder 
parts,  from  the  ni'ck  downward  to  the  tail,  a'e  exquisitely  barred 
and  variegated  with  a  thousand  minute  wavy  lines  of  black,  ash 
color,  cinnabar  brown  and  umber,  the  tail-feathers  bin  mij  a  broad 
band  of  black  close  to  their  extremities,  and  beyond  this  a  tip 
of  snowy  whitene^--.  The  chin  is  white,  but  the  throat  and  breast, 
nearlv  as  far  as  the  insertion  of  the  tbii^hs,  are  of  a  warm  yellow- 
ish chestnut;  the  vent  and  thii,'hs  white.  The  leifs,  ,ii  the  young 
birds,  are  of  an  (.live  green;  in  the  adults,  of  a  pale  tlesh  color. 
There  is  no  distinction  of  plumage,  that  I  have  been  able  to 
discover,  between  the  sexes  ;  nor  has  any  been  detected,  so  far  as 
1  am  aware,  on  dissection  ;  and  the  only  diHerence  between  the 
young  and  old  birds,  size  and  weight  excepted,  i-  the  change  in 
the  color  of  the  legs,  and  the  increased  whitein'ss  of  the  forehead. 

This  interesting  bird  is  rarelv  or  never  seen  by  tiay.  unless  by 
those  who  are  especially  in  pursuit  of  him  ;  and  by  them  even 
he  is  t'ound  with  dilVicultv,  unless  when  hnntcii  with  well  broken 
dogs.  At  nightfall,  however,  he  may  often  be  seen  on  the  wing, 
darting  athwart  the  gloom  from  the  dry  upland  coverts,  in  which 
at  manv  seasons  he  loves  to  lie,  toward  his  wet  feeding  grounds. 
During  the  hoiu-s  of  darkness  he  is  on  the  alr;rt  constantly;  by 
night  he  seeks  his  food;  by  night  he  makes  his  long  and  direct 
migrations,  choosing  for  this  latter  purpose  foggy  weather,  at  or 
about  the  full  of  the  moon. 

I?y  day  he  lies  snugly  ensconsccd  in  some  lonely  brake,  among 
long  grass  and  fern,  under  the  shade  of  the  dark  alder  or  silve.y 
willow,  and  near  to  some  marshy  level  or  muddy  streamlet's 
brink  during  the  sumtner;  but  in  the  autumn,  on  some  dry, 
westering  hillside,  clothed  with  dense  second-growth  and  saplings. 

In  very  quiet  spots,  especially  where  the  covert  overhead  is 
dense  and  shadowy,  he  sometimes  feeds  by  day;  and  it  has  been 
my  fortune  once  or  twice  to  come  upon  him  unsuspected  when 


>()  enga 
luam,  \ 
Ibrth  hi 
largest 
perch  o 

It  is 
is  dicta 
control 
tor  exa 
large  c( 
in  niori 
land  a  I 
alTects 
the  col 
vegetal 

It  I 
have  le 
moult, 
himsel 
them  ii 
elating 

Wo 
.States, 
counlii 
accordi 
the  sn 
immed 

Tlu 
in  the 
round 
iniplen 
said  to 
on  the 
dry  eai 
sudden 
from  V 
of  Jun 
able  to 


OCK. 


THE   WOODCOCK. 


3< 


.1  In'  night,  so  as  to  cati'li 
situatt'  nearer  tlie  apfx,  or 
iliaritv  which,  aildcil  to  tlic 
i^h  and  chinisv  air  to  thi> 
l)ro\v  of  tho  achilt  hini  is  ol 

until  it  riai'lu's  the  crown, 
black.  'lliL'  wliolc  hinder 
•  tail,  a'L'  exquisitelv  hatred 
tc  wavv  linos  ol"  lilack,  ash 
tail-l'calhcrs  lia\  niij  a  hroad 
lies,  and  ht'vond  this  a  tij) 
c,  hut  tiio  throat  and  lircast, 
liLjhs,  are  ofa  warm  vcllow- 
tc.  TliL-  IcLjs,  in  the  voung 
dults,  of  a  pale  flesh  color. 

that  I  have  been  able  to 
any  been  detecfetl,  so  tar  as 
nly  dilVercnce  between  the 
excepted,  i-  the  change  in 

I  wiiiteiifss  ot"  the  I'ori'head. 
ever  seen  bv  day,  unless  by 
)t  hini  ;  and  by  them  even 
•n   hunted  with  well  broken 

often  he  seen  on  the  wing, 
ry  upland  coverts,  in  which 
■d  his  wet  feeding  grounds. 
)n  the  alert  constantly;  by 

makes  his  long  and  direct 
irpose  foggy   weather,  at  or 

II  some  lonely  brake,  among 
of  the  dark  alder  or  silve.y 
evel  or  muddy  streamlet's 
ihe  autumn,  on  some  dry, 
second-growth  and  saplings, 
ere  the  covert  overhead  is 
ds  by  day;  and  it  has  been 
lOn  him  unsuspected  when 


so  engagt'd,  and  to  watch  him  for  many  minutes  probing  the  soft 
(lam,  which  he  loves  the  best,  with  hiii  long  bill,  and  drawing 
iiith  his  snctulenl  food,  from  the  smallest  red  wire-worm  to  the 
largest  lob  worm  suitable  for  the  angler's  bait  when  (ishing  for 
perch  or  the  yellow  bass  of  the  lakes. 

It  is  by  the  abundance  of  this  Ibod  tliat  his  selection  of  haunts 
is  dictated,  and  his  choice  of  season,  in  some  considerable  degree, 
controlled.  On  sandy  anil  hungry  soils,  as  that  of  Long  Island 
tor  example,  he  is  found  rarely  in  comparison,  and  nevci  in  the 
large  congregations  which  so  rejoice  the  heart  of  the  sportsman 
in  more  favoreil  localities.  .Still  more  does  he  eschew  sour  marsh 
land  and  peat  Ixigs,  wherein,  by  the  way,  the  worm  he  most 
allects  hardly  exists;  while  on  fat  loamy  bottom  lands,  whether 
the  color  of  the  soil  be  red  or  black,  rich  with  decomposed 
vegetable  matter,  he  may  be  Ibund  in  swarms. 

It  must  be  understood,  however,  th.it  after  the  young  brood 
have  let"t  the  parent  birds,  which  departure  occurs  after  the  first 
moult,  the  woodcock  is  a  solitary  bird,  acting  and  moving  for 
himself  alone,  although  the  same  causes  inay  draw  hundreds  of 
them  into  one  neighborhood,  and  never  flying  in  flocks,  or  ;isso- 
ciating  in  any  way  with  his  fellows,  unless  in  the  breeding  season. 

Woodcock  arrive  among  us,  in  the  Middle  and  Northern 
.States,  from  Pennsylvania  so  far  eastward  as  to  the  western 
counties  of  Maine,  almost  simultaneously,  in  February  or  March, 
according  to  the  earliness  or  openness  of  the  season — often  before 
the  snow  is  oil"  the  ground.  They  arrive  paired  already,  and 
imniedi.-itely  set  about  the  duties  of  incubation. 

The  nest  is  rude  and  inartiflcial,  consisting  merely  ofa  hollow 
in  the  ground,  with  a  few  slr.-iws  or  rushes  carelessly  gathered 
round  it,  the  bill  of  llie  old  bird  doubtless  proving  an  awkward 
implement  for  niilification.  This  nest  is  made,  if  made  it  can  be 
said  to  be,  under  the  shelter  of  a  reedy  tussock  or  stunted  bush, 
on  the  verge  of  large  wet  meadows;  and  should  the  season  be 
dry  early,  enabling  the  birds  to  sit  on  low  ground,  and  should  a 
sudden  flood  ensue,  numbers  of  broods  are  destroyed ;  a  casualty 
from  whicli  I  do  not  consider  them  secure  until  the  beginning 
of  June  at  least,  when,  in  an  early  season,  the  young  birds  are 
able  to  shift  for  themselves. 


ja 


rHE   WOODCOCK. 


In  siu-li  a  ncKt,  unci  in  tiucli  Ritimtions,  the  waodciick  lavs 
from  two  to  six  bluisli  fg>r»,  irregularly  lilotchcil  with  brown 
How  lonK  tho  proi-CHs  of  iniiib.ilion  continiii-s,  1  have  not  been 
able  accuiatelv  to  uscerlain;  but  I  h;ive  seen  the  old  birds  sitting 
Ko  earlv  as  the  tenth  of  March,  ^et  never  ha  'e  seen  young  birds 
able  to  t1_v  earlier  than  the  middl.  of  May. 

The  ordinary  number  of  a  halihini,'  '»  four  birds,  and  if  the 
first  brood  fjets  off  early,  the  parents  immediately  proceed  to  a 
second  incubation;  the  male  bird  in  this  case  lakini,'  care  of  the 
first  brood  until  the  second  gets  olV,  when  all  associate  together 
until  alter  the  nioultint,'  season,  when  all  ties  are  dissolved,  and 
they  know  thenceforth  neither  kindred  nor  kindness. 

I  am  aware  that  the  fact  of  the  woodcock  rearing  two  broods 
in  the  same  season  has  been  disputed,  but  I  am  thoroughlv 
satisfied  of  the  tact,  having  repeatedly  killed  six  and  eight  young- 
sters, and  those  of  dilTerent  sizes,  -.ith  but  one  couple  of  old 
birds;  and  that,  loo,  in  places  so  small  as  to  render  it  next  to 
impossible  that  any  should  have  remained  unsprung,  and  on 
occasions  when  every  bird  sprung  has  been  brought  to  bag. 

A  stronijer  proof  than  this  I  can  adduce,  involving,  too,  a 
pleasant  aiecdote  concerning  the  maternal  allection  of  this 
usually  iletined  stupid  bird  : 

A  few  years  since— I  think  it  was  in  1841*— there  was  a  deep 
fall  of  snow,  covering  the  greater  part  of  the  state  of  New  York, 
near  eighteen  inches  deep,  so  late  as  the  twelfth  or  fifteenth  of 
May.  It  thawed,  of  course,  immediately,  and  produced  a  complete 
inundation,  the  early  spring  having  been  rather  uncommonly 
dry.  From  this  I  augured  ill  for  the  prospects  of  the  shooting 
sfiiBon.  But  fine  weather  followed,  and  by  most  persons  the 
spring  snowstorm  and  freshet  were  forgotten. 

*In  quntiiiff  thi.s  in  his  siiiuil)  work  :i  lew  years  later,  "  Krank  Forester" 
iiitroduce.s  it  willi  tliu  followiiit;  apt  remarks  :  "Tliis  anecdote  was  published 
by  me  some  two  or  three  years  since,  in  the  columns  of  a  leading  monthly 
magazine,  in  connection  with  a  number  of  remarks  concerning;  the  habits  ot 
the  woodcock,  on  some  of  which  I  have  since  been  led  to  alter  my  opinion. 
1  was,  at  that  time,  inclined  to  believe  that  the  parent  birds  retained  .several 
broods  of  yountf,  of  dillcrent  sizes,  about  them;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  this 
view  ol  the  case  was  erroneous,  and  was  induced  by  the  accident  of  two  or 
more  broods  having  eomc  in  contact,  as  is  perpetually  the  case  on  well-stocked 
ground,  under  the  care  of  only  one  parent  bird  each.'' 


7CA'. 

tioiis,  the  woodcock  lays 
riy  lilotchid  with  brown. 
:)titiinioti,  r  have  not  been 
■  seen  the  old  biidK  >ittinj{ 
■er  ha  'e  •-eeii  young  birds 
lay. 

h'  is  four  birds,  and  if  the 
iniinediately  proceed  to  a 
is  case  lakini;  care  of  the 
hen  all  associate  toj^ethcr 
all  ties  are  dissolved,  and 
nor  kindness, 
dcock  rearing  two  broods 
I,  but  I  am  thorouijhiv 
illed  six  and  el^ht  young- 
h  but  one  couple  of  old 
II  as  to  render  it  next  to 
lained  unsprung,  and  on 
jeen  brought  to  bag. 
adduce,  involving,  too,  a 
aternal    allection   of   this 

n  1S41* — there  was  a  deep 
)f  the  state  of  New  York, 
he  twelfth  or  fifteenth  of 
,  and  produced  a  complete 
een  ratlier  uncommonly 
jrospecls  of  the  shooting 
nd  by  most  persons  the 
;otten. 

years  later,  "  Frank  Forester" 
"  This  anecdote  was  published 
columns  of  a  leading  monthly 
larks  concernin^!^  the  habits  of 

been  led  to  alter  my  opinion. 
;  parent  birds  retained  .several 
11;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  this 
ced  by  the  accident  of  two  or 
■tually  the  case  on  well-stocked 
iich.'' 


Till-:  w'ooncocK. 


n 


r 

■  On  the  first  ol  Jidy   I   went   with  a  Iriend,  a  good    shot   and 

I  eager  sportsman,  to  a  favorite  shooting  ground  in  ( )range  L'ounty, 
New  N'ork,  on  part  of  uliicli  —  for  it  had  a  very  large  rnngi-,  and 
ronlained  many  varieties  of  lying — we  bad  bagged  in  the  previous 
year  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  birds  in  a  single  day's  sbuoting. 

We  shot  the  first  ilay  on  the  low  meadows,  and  killed  hardly 
any  birds — not,  to  the  l>e-t  of  my  recollection,  above  ten  or  a 
dozen,  in  a  severe  day's  walking.  'I'liey  were  well-grown  birds, 
but  not  a  single  uld  one  in  tbi'  numbn-  My  companion,  greatly 
annoyed,  insisted  that  the  ground  had  been  hunled  before  that 
season,  and  all  the  biids  killed  off  except  the  handful  we  bad 
found.  I'^rom  this  conclusion  I  ilissenteil,  arguing  that  if'  suili 
bail  bi'cn  the  case,  we  should  have  f'ounti  okl  birds,  the  young 
being  the  easier  both  to  find  and  to  kill,  especially  for  cockney 
sportsmen,  who  alone  may  be  presumed  to  hunt  before  that 
season.  My  friend  grew  almost  angry,  and  asked  me,  "Where, 
then,  are  the  birds.'"  I  ansyvered,  ''Wait  till  to-morrow  evening, 
when  we  shall  have  beat  our  other  ground,  and   1   will   tell  you." 

'I'he  next  day  we  did  beat  the  other  ground ;  wet  swales,  and 
sloping  yyoods  of  small  extent  in  \allevs  watered  by  little  stream- 
lets from  the  bills.  The  result  was  the  same,  a  wretched  day's 
sport,  and  no  old  birds,  or  at  least  hardly  any. 

As  usual,  each  held  his  own  position.  My  friend  again  asked, 
"  I  low  ilo  you  account  for  this.''"  I  replied,  "All  the  young  broods 
liavt  been  destroyed  by  the  freshet,  except  the  very  few  which 
got  oil'  before  the  May  flood.  This  accoimts  tor  the  fewness  of 
the  birds,  and  for  the  uncommon  size  of  those  few.  The  old 
birds  are  now  hatching  their  second  broods  on  the  ridges  and 
hillsides.  I  will  show  you  that  I  am  right,  to-inorroyv."  And 
to-morrow  I  did  siiow  him  that  the  ridges  ami  sapling  coverts — 
sprouts,  as  the  country  people  call  them — were  full  of  old  birds 
hovriiiiffy  and  no  young  ones. 

Still  my  companion  yvas  incredulous  as  to  the  second  broods, 
until  in  the  afternoon,  as  I  was  passing  through  a  little  clump  of 
alders,  not  above  tyvo  or  three  yards  square,  I  flushed  a  bird, 
which  flew  out  to  him  lie  fired.  1  called  out  to  inquire  wliethir 
he  had  killed,  and  as  he  answered  "  yes,''  I  heard  the  bird  flapping 
its    wings  on  the  ground,  in  the  death-struggle,  as   I   imagined. 


mmBs— 


14 


THE   W()()/H(HK 


Kno\>in|{  that  )if  I'oukl  ii'i'Dvt'r  lln'  lilnl  in  tlic  «pt'M  ground,  I 
beiit  out  tlie  thii'kft  thiirouKl'lv.  "ml  Icli  if,  ><ali>.tirii  tl\ai  it  lon- 
taiiu'd  no  other  bird,  lh()iik(li  I  hiul  knuu'  ililli<'iilt\  iti  ^rttin^'  oih' 
c)l  iiiv  hi'ttciK  lUMkv  iVom  what  I  Mi|)|iimt'il  to  lu'  a  luUI-mow^i' 
Oil  joiiilni;  inv  iVifnd,  \w  luM  me  that  tin'  l)iiil  had  llappfd  up, 
when  he  wilH  Id  the  act  of  hiviii);  hi"  liand  upon  it,  and  had 
hta>{nered  'iwav,  HecInln^{  every  moment  on  t'\e  point  of  lallin;,', 
hu  thai  he  did  not  care  to  lire  at  it  a^.iin,  until  it  hail  >,'ol  out  oi 
Kliot ;  but  that  he  had  marked  it  dcnvn  to  a  yard,  in  a  thick  brush 
feiiee,  three  or  tour  hundred  yarilH  awn  v.  On  Koin^  to  the  plai  e, 
the  do^s  took  tin' hceiit  readilv  ;  hut  while  thev  were  trailiiij{  it, 
the  bird  ro>e,  a  bundled  yaiil-  oil',  thippin^  iiiul  vhiKKeriii^'  about, 
as  if  severely  hurt,  nnJ  llew  >ome  lluee  or  loin-  hundred  yards 
farther  tVom  the  thicket  in  whiili  ..e  lir-l  started  il,  and  droppeii 
a^aiii  in  u  piece  of  thick  liillside  coppice.  I  iiinrkcd  the  biril 
accurately  by  the  top  ot  a  |>iiu'  tree,  and  oil"  we  set  in  pursuit, 
I  inoie  tlian  hail'  su^pciliiif^  lliat  the  bird  was  unwouiuled. 
.Scarce  hail  we  entered  the  covert,  when  up  wlii/zed  tlie  identical 
bird,  fresh  and  sound,  from  tlie  verv  brakt-  in  whicli  1  had  marked 
him,  and  away  like  a  bullet  tluouKh  the  Iree  tops.  .So  thorouf;hlv 
convinced  was  I,  that,  though  I  could  have  killed  the  bird  with 
ease,  I  would  not  fire  at  it;  but,  to  convince  my  still  doubting 
friend,  we  walked  back  to  the  little  tuft  In  which  \vc  first  sprun;; 
the  cock,  he  promisin;;  not  to  tire  if  we  should  again  fiush  her. 
Mv'  dogs  were  not  well  in  the  alders  before  the  bird  rose  again, 
and  was  going  a\\;iv  at  her  best  pace,  when  my  friend's  shot 
stopped  her,  to  my  ..  finite  disgust,  lie  is  a  very  quick  shot,  and 
in  the  cxcit'.'ment  of  the  moment  forgot  everything  except  the 
game  ind  the  fury  of  pursuit. 

Alinost  at  the  same  moment,  oKI  Chanci — he  was  the  best 
retirever  I  ever  saw  in  any  coii.trv — picked  up  from  the  spot 
where  I  had  supposed  he  was  ,  •.utVnig  al'ti'r  a  li''ld-mouse,  a 
young  downy,  unfiedged  woodcoc!;,  less  th.in  two  in<  iies  long. 

Chance  was  the  finest  retriever  I  ever  saw,  broke  bv  Mike 
Sandford,  of  Newark,  and  would  carry  a  hurt  bird  by  the  tip  of 
his  wing,  without  iutllin'4  a  I'eath  r;  aiul  tliougli  it  will  hardly  be 
believed.    I    took   the   little   fi'.'d;.;linL;   iroui    liis   nunith   unhiu'med. 


.u  .1  bail 
himself 

'I'hat 
hefoi'i'  V 
with  th 
«umi'd 
(  rippled 
me  that 

Had 
not  to  b 
since  III 
simplifii 
of  wood 
day  the 
I  ulfed  g 
lor  whii 
when  I 

i  am 
parent  I 
of  the  I 
they  ilis 
northwc 
and  Kca 
which  i 
itself  al 
protei:ti 
until  th' 

A  se 
of  the  1 
(|uently 
speak in 

A  th 
which  r 
impossi 
on  the  I 

Last 
enforcei 
it  ajipca 


OCK. 


THE  n  '>(>/>(  <HK 


.IS 


hinl  in  tlu-  opi'ii  ^roiiiul,  I 
I'll  if,  HiitihHi'tl  thai  it  ii)n- 
iif  liillii'iilty  ill  urtlinj;  diic 
i|iimcil  to  be  a  fuUI-m()u«i' 
t  till'  biril  liiul  ll;ip|u'il  up, 

ii»    ll.liul    lipilll    it,    IIM(t    liiul 

nt  on  tSf  point  ol'  liilliii;,', 
In,  until  it  l\!ui  jrot  out  ol 
I  to  II  vaiil,  in  n  tiiick  brusli 
:iv.  On  yoinK  to  thi'  pltlii-, 
.liilc  thi'V  well'  tniiliiijj  it, 
pmn  iiiul  Kliij.'ijfiiiiy  about, 
icu  111-  lour  liuniiic'd  vnrilK 
fUft  hturtiil  il,  aiul  ilroppcil 
ppico.  I  innikiil  tbr  l)iiil 
anil  oil'  Nvc  n't  ill  |)urKuit, 
llu'  bird  wav  uiiudiiiu'.oil. 
L'li  up  wlii/zi'il  tin-  iilontical 
ake  in  wliiili  I  bad  tnnrkud 
u'  tioe  top'*.  So  tboroiij^lily 
1  have  killi'd  till-  biid  witli 
onvituo  ni\  still  doubting 
ft  in  wliicli  we  Inst  sprung 
we  sboiild  again  llusb  licr. 
it'lbre  tbe  bird  rose  again, 
:l',  wben  ttiv  friend's  shot 
le  is  a  very  quick  sbot,  and 
got  evervtbing  except  tbe 

Clianei' — be  was  the  best 
—picked  up  iVoiii  tbe  spot 
I'lng  after  a  li'ld-iuouse,  a 
ss  tliaii  two  in>  iies  long. 

ever  saw,  broke  bv  Mike 
v  a  biirt  bird  by  tlu'  tip  of 
lul  tliough  it  will  hardly  be 
roni   hi-.  MiiHitli   uiihurmed, 


.11   1  bail  tbe  >-;iti-r.iition  of  Meing  bini  run  uway  biit.kly,  and  liiile 
liinisflf  bcbiiid  a  ilock  leal'. 

Tbat  day  w-  »liot  n>  nun',  nor  Indeed  timt  numnier;  but 
before  we  left  Orange  County,  I  went  again  to  tbe  naine  brake, — 
wilb  lb."  oil!  dii'4.  but  withoul  a  gun, — ailil  llusbed  what  I  pre 
»iinied  to  ba\e  been  the  mule  biid,  wliieli,  b\  it<  Hiinulated 
I  rippled  tligbt,  again  ib'awiiig  ine  away  from  tbe  sjiot,  e(Miviiteiil 
Mie  that  be  wan  walcbing  over  Ins  niotlurlerts  tittle  ones. 

I  laii  I  needed  any  tiling  to  e<»nvin('e  ine  tbat  woiidcoi  k  (uigbt 
not  to  be  xliol  in  jiilv,  tbat  scene  would  have  eouviuci'il  iiie  ;  and 
since  til, It  liay  I  bav .-  never  ceaseil  to  .idvoi'ate  a  change  and 
■-iniplilicatioTi  of  our  game  laws,  wbicli  should  pruhiblt  the  killing 
of  woodc<ick  until  the  first  d.iy  of  October;  ami  make  Iliul  one 
day  tbe  eiul  of  close  time  for  .ill  game  whatever,  exci  pi  the 
lulled  grouse,  eominonly  calleil  pluasaiil,  or  partridge,  the  reason 
for  which  exception  I  shall  give  under  llie  head  ol  tb.il  line  bird, 
when  I  reach  him  in  his  turn. 

I  am  satisfied  thai  this  change  should  be  maile;  because  the 
parent  birds  do  not  cease  from  sitting  until  the  comtnencetnent 
of  tbe  moulting  season,  that  is,  about  the  llrst  of  August,  when 
they  tlisapjie.ir  for  a  while,  migrating,  as  some  believe,  yet  farther 
northward,  or,  as  I  fancy,  moving  to  the  dillicult  neiuntain  tops, 
and  scattering  themselves  among  the  little  swales  and  gulleys 
which  intersect  tbein,  This  is  the  first  grand  reason,  anil  is  in 
itself  all-sulVicient ;  for  as  close  tiiiK  is  only  adopted  for  the 
protection  e''  the  brooding  birds,  it  should,  of  course,  continue 
until  the  broods  are  out  of  danger. 

A  st'coiul  reason  is  scarce  less  valid:  tbat  not  one-tenth  i)art 
of  the  young  birds,  killeil  in  July,  are  half  grown,  .ind  conse- 
([uently  afford  little  sport  to  ihe  shooter,  and  are,  cotnpavatively 
speaking,  valueless  on  the  table, 

A  third  may  be  I'ound  in  the  extreme  beat  of  Ji.ly  weather, 
which  renders  the  sport  a  toil  both  to  man  and  dog,  a.nl  makes  it 
impossible  to  bring  home  the  game  in  a  slate  fit  to  be  eati'ii.  i-ven 
on  the  day  which  sees  it  killed. 

Last,  not  least,  tbe  law,  as  it  now  stands,  can  hardly  be 
enforced,  so  dillicult  is  it  to  limit  men  to  this  or  that  day,  when 
it  ajipcars  to  be  a  mere  arbitrary  distinction.     Prohibit  the  killing 


36 


THE   WOODCOCK. 


of  the  bird  at  all  during  his  spring  ami  suininer  vi.it;  strictly 
punish  those  who  vend  him  dining  that  period;  let  the  cause  ot" 
the  prohibition  be  made  thoroughly  public,  and  you  will  enlist 
llie  now  law-breakers  in  the  lauic  of  law-protection. 

No  danger  ot'  their  anticipating  the  first  ot'  October  by  a  tew 
days  or  weeks,  for  this  siMijjle  reason,  that  before  that  day  the 
bird  has  not  returned  from  liis  summer  rustication,  and,  conse- 
quently, is  not  there  to  be  killed. 

These  views  1  submit  humbly,  but  with  lull  conviction  of 
their  justice,  to  all  sportsmen  and  friends  of  sporting;  and 
earnestly  do  I  entreat  them  to  give  them  a  fair  consideration,  if 
they  would  save  the  woodcock  h'oni  ihe  fate  of  the  heath-hen — 
expatriation  and  extinction. 

In  my  next  paper  1  sliall  treat  this  question  somewhat  more 
fully,  as  connected  with  the  short  moulting  migration,  with 
autumn,  or,  technically, /«//  shooting;  with  the  use  and  breaking 
of  the  dog;  and  with  what  will  perhaps  be  new  to  some  of  my 
readers,  the  fire-hunting  of  the  South,  as  applied  to  winged  game, 
and  shooting  on  the  wing. 

Tub  Cedaks,  Nov.  jj,  iS),. 


II. 


THE   WOODCOCK. 


THE  year  has  now  arrived  at  the  first  week  of  August,  and  the 
earth  is  scourged  with  almost  intolerable  heat.  The  dwellers 
of  large  cities  are  all  on  the  wing  for  the  fresh  breezes  of  the 
Atlantic  coast,  for  the  mineral  springs  among  the  cold  and  quiet 
mountains,  for  the  snug  farm-houses  in  some  green  and  shady 
vale. 

Manv  of  these,  sportsmen  in  their  own  conceit,  and  that  only, 
go  forth  encumbered  with  their  Purdeys,  or  their  Mantons,  and 
accompanied  by  their  high-bred  and  well-broke  dogs,  in  the  vain 


i 


CK. 

li  summer  v'.it;  strictly 
period;   let  the  cause  of 

iblic,  anci  you  will  enlist 

rt-protection. 

first  of  October  by  a  tew 
thai  before  that  ilay   the 

!r  ru>tication,  and,  conse- 

with  full  conviction  of 
riends  of  sporting;  and 
111  a  fair  consideration,  if 
'  fate  of  the  heath-hen — 

question  somewhat  more 
loullint;  migration,  with 
with  the  use  and  breaking 
s  be  new  to  some  of  my 
s  applied  to  winged  game, 


THE    WOODCOCh'. 


37 


t  week  of  August,  and  the 
erable  heat.  The  dwellers 
•  the  fresh  breezes  of  the 
imong  the  cold  and  quiet 
n  some  green  and  shady 

\vn  conceit,  and  that  only, 
\  s,  or  their  Mantons,  and 
.'U-broke  dogs,  in  the  vain 


H.pe  of  ti.uiing  sport  in  the  moist  woodlands  or  the  marshy 
meadows,  that  shall  relieve  the  tedium  conse^iuent  on  change 
from  the  stirring  habits,  and  the  bustle  of  dense  streets,  to  the 
.nonotonous  tranquillity  and  calmness  of  the  country. 

In  the  van,  hope.  I   said.     And   wherefore  vain.>  methinks  I 
luar  the  reader  ask.  unlearned  in  the  mysteries  of  wood  and  rner. 
Vain    hope,    dear    friend,   because,   of   all    the  months  in  the 
woodland  vear.  this  burning  month  ot  August  is  the  most  barren, 
to  the  -entle  sportsman,  of  all  legitimate  occupation.    No  species 
of  seasonable  game  is  to  be  found,  in  this  month,  in  sulbcient 
numbers  to  render  its  pursuit  exciting;  while  the  fierce  heat  ol 
the  summer  sun  renders  his  sportive  labor  toilsome  to  the  man; 
and  the  lack  of  game  is  apt  to  produce  carelessness,  headstrong- 
ness,  and  disobedience  to  command,  in   his  four-tooled  comrade. 
It    is   for   these   good    reasons,   that   the  gun  of  the   genuine 
sportsman  hangs  idle  on  the  antlers  in  his  hall,  with  pouch,  and 
4sk.  and  emptv  game-bag  at  its  side,  during  this  weary  month; 
while  his  emplovment  in  the  field  is  limited  to  keeping  his  dogs 
in  exercise,  and  "to  preparing  them  by  steady   house  breaking,  for 

the  sport  of  the  more  genial  autumn. 

Durin-    this    month    of    August,   the    Knglish    snipe,   having 
withdrawn  from  our  latitudes  in  June,  is  luxuriating  in  the  Arctic 
regions  of   Labrador  and  scarce  thawed  Greenland.     The  quail 
is  protected  bv   wise  laws,  rearing  her  first  bevy,   if  the   season 
lias  been  cold  and  backward;  her  second,  if  the  times  have  been 
limes  of  promise  to  the  expectant  sportsman.     The  rufied  grouse 
is  protected  likeuise;  but,  as  I  think,  improperly,  holding,  myself 
this  month  to  be  the  fittest  of  the  twelve  for  his  legitimate  and 
pleasa.it  slaughter.     The  woodcock,  too.  our  own  woodcock,  our 
present   topic  of  discourse,   hath    departed,-vanished    from    his 
haunts  of  last  month,  for  a  season,-nol  to  be  found  ol  dogs,  or 
shot  of  men,  until  crisp  frost's  shall  have  embrowned  the  meadows 
-until  the  maple  shall  have  changed   his  leafy  green   tor  hectic 

crimson.  .      ,   .,  ■     u  •   t 

It  is  .trange  that  no  naturalist  should  have  noticed  this  bnet 
migration;  for  none  have  done  so-none.  at  least,  ot  whose 
writings  1  am  cognizant.  It  is  scarcely  less  strange,  that  until 
very  recentlv  even  sportsmen,  who  knew  a-..d  perceived  the  sudden 


3S 


THE  noo/xocK. 


ilUapiHaraiui.'  ot  the  binl,  >h(iiiKi  have  <loul)Uil  or  lUr.ieil  the  fact 
of  il^  Miiyiatioii  at  thi--  period. 

\\'l)eii  liisl  I  bei^aii  lo  sporl  in  this  eoiinti  v, --ofne  (ll'teen  vesrs 
ago,  tliere  were  two  theorie-i  current  anionj;  sportsmen,  \vherel)y 
to  aeioiiiil  lor  tlie  fact  ''at  in  wooil^  where  tile  birds  swarmed  in 
July,  he  was  li.U'dlv  lo  be  tound  in  August.  Hotli  theories,  as  I 
lia\e  proved  thoroughly  to  my  own  >alis('aeli()ii,  are  absurd  and 
I'ulile. 

The  first  w  a-  this ;  That  the  bin!  did  not,  in  tiuth,  disappear 
at  all,  bnl  uinained  on  hi-  old  i^nuiiul  ;  tIioii>;h,  owiny  to  the 
I'aet  of  his  beint(  in  moult,  lie  Lfave  out  n>)  seent  whereby  the  do^ 
lonld  detect  him;  and  from  sickness,  or  inability  to  lly  with  his 
woiitid  velocity,  refused  to  rise  bel'ore  the  tread  of  liis  intrudini; 
enemy,  the  man. 

This  theory  is  answered,  in  a  word.  The  woodcock,  while  in 
moult,  (/()(',<  give  out  as  much  scent,  ;'.<  pointed  as  reailily  by  dogs, 
lior.i  rise  ps  willingly  before  the  frosts,  and  /.<  as  good  upon  the 
table,  as  at  anv  other  season  ;  facts  which  are  easih  proved,  since, 
although  the  great  mass  of  bird-,  withdraw  ihiring  August,  and 
do  not  return  before  October,  a  tew  do  still  tarry  in  their  old 
swamps,  and  may  be  found  anti  sliot;  though  so  few  in  n  imbcr, 
and  at  so  great  an  expense  of  time  ami  labor,  as  to  render  the 
pursuit  of  them  toilsome,  and  producli\e  oiilv  of  weariless  and 
ilisappointmenl 

I  have,  however.  Killed  thein  repeateiily,  while  endeavoiing 
to  satisly  myself  oi'  the  facts  which  I  now  assert,  so  deep  in  the 
moult  tliat  their  bodies  have  been  almost  naked,  and  that  Ihcy 
liave  tlutti.'red  up  teebly  and  with  a  heuvy  whirring,  on  wings 
divested  of  one  half  the  tiuill-teathers;  and  in  that  state  1  have 
observed  that  the  dogs  stood  as  staunchly,  and  at  as  great  a  dis- 
tance from  their  game,  as  usual;  aiul  that  the  birds  took  uing  as 
freely,  though,  in  truth,  half  impotent  t<.)  Il\ . 

The  other  theory  was  this  —  which  I  li;ive  heard  insisted  on  as 
strenuously  as  the  lormer:  That  the  woodcock,  on  beginning  to 
moii'l,  betakes  himself  to  the  niai/e,  or  indian  corn  fields,  and 
remains  there  unsuspected  until  the  crops  Inive  been  housed,  and 
the  cold  weather  has  set  in. 


'I'hai 
mai/e  (i 
that  till 

I'ound  g 

in  such 

experie 

I    hi 

circuiiv 

ihousai 

as  any 

farmer^ 

lieUls"; 

liirds  i: 

ground 

1  th 

above  i 

An. 

•■Whit 

sage  (p 

salisf.u 

the  iiu 

runnel 

among 

signal 

belvvei 

forth, 

woodc 

scores 

and  g. 

rascal- 

In 

the  ea 

word 

the  su 

the   11 

a  city 

ledges 


['A'. 

oublcd  or  ilci-.'ioil  tlio  fact 

)iiiiti  V,  sofiii.'  (irtet'n  vc'3rs 
onu  spoitsiiK'n,  \vluTel>v 
KTL'  tlic  birds  swariiuil  in 
list.  15otli  tlieorii's,  as  I 
islactioii,  ari.'  absiirtl  ami 

I  not,  in  ti  nil),  disappear 
i;  llio.iijb,  owiiij:;  to  tlie 
K)  scint  wlicrcln'  tin-  lio^ 
inability  to  fly  witli  bis 
\v  tread  of  iiis  intruding; 

Tbe  woodcock,  uliile  in 
linted  as  rcatlily  by  dogs, 

and  IS  as  good  npon  tbe 
1  are  easih  proved,  since, 
raw  di'ring  August,  and 
o  still  tarry  in  tiioir  old 
ougli  so  few  in  n  nnl)cr, 
d   labor,  as  to  render  tbe 

e  only  of  weariress  and 

ediy,  wbile  endeavoiing 
>vv  assert,  so  deep  in  I  be 
:)st  nailed,  and  tiiat  tbey 
avy  whirring,  on  wings 
md  in  that  state  1  bavt 
Idy,  and  at  as  great  a  dis- 
it  tbe  liirds  took  wing  as 
.  fly. 

liave  heard  insisted  on  as 
jodcock,  on  beginning  to 
•  imiian  corn  fields,  and 
)s  bave  been  boused,  and 


n 


////■;   UOODCOCh'. 


y) 


Tliat  a  few  -catleit'd  woodcock  may  be  found  in  wet,  low 
mai/e  fields,  along  tlie  edge  of  woods,  is  true;  and  it  is  true,  also, 
that  thev  'i^-^-'\  in  sucb  sitiKitions  in  great  numbers,  i/iinin,'-  tin- 
ni^bt,  previous  to  tbeir  removal;  but  ibat  tbey  are  ever  lo  lie 
Ibimd  generally,  or  tor  any  number  of  consecutive  days  or  weeks, 
in  such  ground,  is  an  utterly  incorrect  surmise,  disproved  by  long 

experience. 

I  bave  applied  myself  care.ully  to  tbe  investigation  of  this 
circumstance,  and  in  tbe  last  ten  years  bave  certainly  beaten  a 
Ihousand  maize  fields  tborougbly,  with  a  brace  of  as  good  setters 
as  any  private  gentleman  possessed,  at  the  very  period  when 
lariners  would  tell  me  "tbey  were  as  thick  as  fowls  in  the  corn 
lielils";  ami  1  have  iu;t  on  uiy  occasion  flushed  more  than  three 
liirds  in  any  one  Held;  nor  have  I  killed  twenty-five  on  such 
ground  altogether. 

1  think  the  reader  will  admit  that  tbe  two  theories  alluded  to 
above  are,  by  these  facts,  indisputably  controverted. 

And  now  I  mu.st  expect  that  it  will  be  inquired  of  me, 
•■Whither,  then,  do  tbey  go.?  what  iH'comes  of  them.'"  to  which 
sage  questions  it  i^,  1  grieve  to  say,  my  tate  lo  be  un;d)le  lo  make 
satisliu ir,ry  replv.  1  was  formerly  inclined  to  believe  that  when 
the  mou.  "  s  at  baud,  the  woodcock  withdraws  to  tbe  small  upland 
r>mne!^  and  boggy  streamlets  which  are  to  l)e  found  everywhere 
among  our  hills  or  mountain-.  Tbal  the  moulting  season  is  the 
signal  ,  ir  dispersion,  and  the  termination  of  all  family  ties 
between  the  young  and  old  birds,  is  certain.  I'rom  this  time 
forth,  until  tbe  next  February  brings  round  tbe  pairing  time,  tbe 
woodcock,  whether  t'ound  singly  in  a  solitary  place,  or  among 
scores  of  his  kind,  is  still  a  lonely  and  ungregarious  bird,  coming 
and  going  at  bis  ow  n  pleasure,  without  reference  — undemocratic 
rasca'  — to  the  will  of  the  majority. 

In  corroboration  of  this  view  of  the  absence  of  our  iiird  during 
the  earlv  autumn,  I  was  once  informed  by  a  gentleman  whose 
word  1  have  no  reason  to  disbelieve,  that  on  ascending  once  to 
the  summit  of  Bull  Hill,  one  of  tbe  h.ftiest  of  the  liighlands  of 
the  Hudson,  with  the  intent  of  showing  the  fine  view  thence  to 
acitv  iViend,  he  found  tbe  brushwood  on  tbe  barren  and  rocky 
ledges,  and  even  on  tne  crown  of  the  hill,  literally  alive  with 


I 


Hi 


40 


THE  WOODCOCK. 


woodcock.  This  occurred,  according  to  liis  statem..-nt,  in  the 
heginnini,'  of  .Sept.niher,  when  no  hirds  were  to  be  found  in  the 
level  and  wet  woods  below  Me  further  stated  that  he  at  first 
intended  to  revisit  the  hill  the  next  dav,  with  dog  and  gun,  in 
order  to  profit  bv  his  discovery,  but  was  prevented  doin-  so  by- 
casual  circumstances,  until  the  frost  had  set  in  keenlv  in  the 
woods.  He  then  climbed  the  hill,  and  beat  it  carefuUv  with 
dogs,  without  obtaining  one  point  to  reward  his  labor;  andon  the 
next  day-  found  the  swamps  below  full  of  birds. 

Not  vouching  for  the  truth  of  this  tale,  I  tell  it  as  'twas  told 
to  me.  The  teller  was  a  sportsman,  and  a  man  of  average 
veracity-that  is  to  say,  I  should  have  been  inclined  to  believe 
any  lact  he  stated,  where  I  could  see  no  interest  on  his  part  which 
should  lead  hi,n  to  attempt  deception.  In  this  case  there  was 
no  such  reason;  not  even  the  de.sire  of  prevailing  in  argument, 
for  we  were  not  arguing.  I  cannot,  therefore,  well  doubt  the' 
correctness  of  his  information. 

If  truly  stated,  as  I  believe  it  to  have  been,  this  fact  makes 
somewhat  for  my  former  opinion.  I  have  also  myself  frequently 
found  scattered  birds  on  such  hill  tops,  and  in  s'uch  mountain- 
swales,  while  deer-stalking,  in  August  and  .September,  though 
not  in  numbers  which  would  justify  the  belief  in  a  gene::d 
migration  in  mass,-  to  such  localities. 

If,  however,  my  half-formed  opinion,— for  it  is  no  more,— be 
correct,  the  birds  are  dispersed  at  tliis  period  of  the  vear,  and  are 
only  to  be  found,  casually,  in  knots  of  three  or  four,  and  never  in 
greater  numbers. 

The  other,  and  on  the  whole,  perhaps  more  probable  sugges- 
tion, is  this:  That,  after  rearing  their  young,  driven  bv  the  heat 
of  the  weather,  or,  it  may  be.  by  the  temporary  exhaustion  of 
food  on  their  favorite  grounds,  they  move  farther  northward,  as 
does  the  English  snipe  yet  earlier  in  the  season,  not  to  return 
until  the  premature  cold  of  northern  Canada  drives  them  back, 
to  tarry  xtith  us  a  few  months  on  their  way  southward. 

Should  this  prove  to  be  the  ca.se,  the  woodcock,  instead  of 
being  termed  with  us  a  summer  bird  of  passage,  must  be  regarded 
as  a  spring  and  autumnal  visitant,  like  his  congener,  the  snipe; 
with  this  diflerence,  that  the  snipe  rarely  breeds  with  us,  going 


northwa 
invariab 
of  the  n 

Of  tl 
better  o 
for  accc 
season, 
now  rat 
the  lorn 
tion  has 

It  is 
ing,  in  I 
more  st 
come,  { 
undistir 

Whc 
New  Y 
because 
not.  N 
are  ext 
around 
before  t 
for  the  ' 
a  victiiT 
a  half  1 
at  a  dol 

Oh, 


Oh, 

winter  i 
that  de 
likewisi 
day  is 
pleasuri 
swarm, 
the  Wa 
the  po: 


to  liis  statcmi.-in,  in  the 
s  were  to  be  found  in  the 
ler  stateci  that  he  at  first 
av,  with  cio^  and  gun,  in 
s  prevented  doin-,'  1,0  by 
ad  set  in  keenly  in  the 
id  beat  it  carefully  with 
ard  liis  labor;  and  on  the 
f  birds. 

lie,  I  tell  it  as  'twas  told 
and  a  man  of  average 
been  inclined  to  believe 
nterest  on  his  part  whicli 
In  this  case  there  was 
prevailing  in  argument, 
tierefore,   well  doubt  the 

e  been,  this  tact  makes 
■e  also  myself  frequently 
and  in  such  mountain- 
and  September,  though 
the    belief   in   a   gene::d 

—for  it  is  no  more, — be 
iod  of  the  year,  and  are 
■ee  or  four,  and  never  in 

more  probable  sugges- 
lung,  driven  by  the  heat 
'inporarv  exhaustion  of 
e  farther  northward,  as 
e  season,  not  to  return 
lada  drives  them  back, 
ly  southward, 
e  woodcock,  instead  t)f 
ssage,  must  be  regarded 
s  congener,  the  snipe; 

breeds  with  us,  going 


T/ir:  n'oo/icorK. 


41 


northward  to  nidificate,  while  his  fellow  emigrant,  our  srohfav, 
invariably  rears  his  young  before  going  I'arther  toward  the  Irosts 
of  the  northern  pole. 

Of  these  suggestions  my  readers  must  judge  whether  is  the 
better  of  the  two;  one  of  the  two  I  believe  to  be  the  only  way 
tor  accounting  for  the  woodcock's  short  disappearance  at  this 
season.  For  the  1  est,  as  i  leaned  at  first  to  the  former,  so  do  I 
now  rather  incline  toward  the  1:  tter  belief,  facts  not  bearing  out 
the  t'oimer  to  n  y  satisfaction,  although  1  do  not  think  the  ques- 
tion has  been,  as  yet,  fully  teste''  by  experiment. 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  here,  that  this  question  is  yearly  becom- 
intr,  in  these  districts,  more  ditliciilt  of  solution;  and  I  am  the 
more  strenuous  in  noting  this  emigration,  because  things  may 
come,  ere  long,  to  such  a  pass  that  it  will  become  wholly 
undistinguishable. 

When  first  I  shot  in  New  jersey,  and  in  the  river  counties  of 
New  York,  the  disappearance  of  the  birds  was  evident  enough; 
because,  up  to  a  certain  day,  they  abounded,  and  after  that,  were 
not.  Now,  long  before  the  second  week  of  July,  the  woodcock 
are  exterminated  in  their  summer  haunts  for  miles  and  miles 
around  our  large  cities;  too  many  of  them,  alas,  slaugl.tered 
before  the  season,  when  scarcely  able  to  fly,  when  nearly  unfit 
for  the  table,  when  a  game  despicable  to  the  loyal  sportsman,  and 
a  victim  easy  to  the  pot-hunting  knave,  who  goes  gunning  with 
a  half  bred,  half  broken  cur,  and  a  German  fowling-piece,  dear 
at  a  dollar's  purchase. 

Oh,  gentlemen  legislators — gentlemen  sportsmen, 

"  Reform  it  altogetlier  I " 

Oh,  ye  choice  spirits,  who  stood  forth,  after  the  long,  hard 
winter  and  deep  snow-drifts— cpiail-destroying — of  1836,  to  rescue 
that  delightfid  little  fowl  from  total  extinction,  stand  tbrth  in 
likewise  now,  in  protection  of  the  woodcock.  Sullicient  for  the 
day  is  the  evil  thereof.  Railroads  are  ruining  the  hopes,  the 
pleasures  of  the  sportsman;  our  best  shooting  grounds  now 
swarm,  on  the  first  of  July,  with  guns  more  numerous  than  birds; 
the  Warwick  woodlands,  once  inaccessible  to  the  pot-hunter  and 
the  poacher,   may   now  be  reached    for    fifty    cents;    may  now 


fU 


4J 


THE   WOODCOCK. 


be   swept   clear  in   a  s'ngle  dav — nay,  <irr  swept  clear  of  hali- 

flcdgeii  younj^liiigs,  bv   men,  boys  and  bunglers,  and  ruthlessly 

devoured  before  the  season  has    set   in,   by    ignor..nt,    voracious 

cockneys. 

•Keform  it  altogether  I  " 

Enact  that  the  woodcock  shall  not  be  slain,  -.hall  not  be  pos- 
sessed— as  Mr.  Hlunt  possessed  him — on  plate  or  in  stomach, 
until  the  tirst  day  of  October.  Every  true  sportsman — ever\ 
sporlsman  whatsoever— will  ;,'0  hand  and  heart  with  the  law,  will 
watch  and  prevent  the  illegal  sale  of  the  bird;  and  then— ye  gods 
of  woodcraft!  .Sylvans  and  Faims!  and  thou  friend  of  the  hunter, 
Pan! — what  sport  shall  we  have  in  brown  October,  when  the  sere 
underbrush  is  bare  of  leaves  to  mar  the  sportsinan's  aim;  when 
the  cool,  dewy  earth  sends  up  the  odor  of  the  game  in  fresh 
streams  to  the  setter's  keen  and  sagacious  nose;  when  the  pure 
air  braces  the  nerves  and  fans  the  brow  —  delicious;  when  the 
full-grown,  white-fronted,  pink-legged  cock  sprini^s  up  —  not 
fluttermg  feebly  now  and  staggering  stupidly  into  the  muzzle  of 
the  gun,  to  drop  again  within  twenty  yards,  but  on  a  vigorous 
and  whislling  pinion,  with  sharp-piping  alarm  note,  swift  as  a 
rifle-bullet,  soaring  away  through  the  tree-tops,  or  darting,  devious 
with  abrupt  zig-i.         among  the  thick-set  saplings, 

Him  no  boy  can  blaze  at  his  twenty  times  in  half  an  hour,  and 
slaughter  after  all  with  on<.  chance  pellei,  or  happilv  wearied 
down  without  one!  Him  can  no  (ierman  gun  achieve,  of  cast 
iron,  scattering  its  shot  over  an  area  of  twenty  feet,  harmless  at 
twenty  yards!  llim  can  no  cur-dog  flush  in  gunshot  of  pot- 
hunting  poacher. 

No!  gentle  reader,  him,  whether  he  lies  in  the  tufted  fern  and 
wintergreens,  or  the  dry  slope  of  some  warm  westering  hill- 
side, among  brown  second  growth  of  oak  and  chestnut;  whether 
he  wades  among  ihe  shallow  mud-pools,  sheltered  by  tern,  dock- 
leaves,  and  dark  colt's-foot  of  some  deep  maple  swamp,  it  needs 
the  stealthy  pace,  the  slow,  cat-like,  guarded  motion,  the  instinct- 
ive knowledge  of  the  ground,  the  perfect  nose,  and  absolute 
docility,  which  belong  only  to  the  thorough  dog  of  the  thorough 
sportsinan,  to  find  certainly,  and  stand  staunchly!  lliin,  whether 
he  flap  up,  seen  for  one  second  only  among  the  leafless  stems. 


;md  lost  t 
whether  1 
red  and  y 
sharply  a 
faith,  the 
celerity,  I 
inan,  the 
like  the  p 
not  wing 
charge,  ti 
quick  am 
tells  gooc 
gorgeous 

My  w 
pastime— 
and  ardoi 
culinary, 
comparec 
them,  gel 
it  be,  in 
sportsma 
cock  ;  prt 
which  til 
meetings 
perpend, 
plan  for  > 
our  norti 
all  cavil! 
thou,  Co 
great  all 
and  repe 
in  Gothi 
didst  mo 
Jersey  la 
long  bet 
fine  fan; 
on  thee! 

Oh! 


THE   WOODCOCK. 


43 


'e  swept  clear  of  half- 
unjjleis,  imd  rulhlussl^ 
)}•    ij^nor.-nt,    voracious 


slain,  ^.hall  not  be  pos- 
1  plate  or  in  stoinacli, 
true  sportsman — every 
heart  with  the  law,  will 
ird;  and  then — ye  jjoils 
Du  friend  of  the  hunter, 

October,  when  the  sere 
portsinan's  aim;  when 

of  the  fjame  in  fresh 
i  nose;  when  the  pure 
—  delicious;  when  the 
:ock  spring's  up  —  not 
)idly  into  the  muzzle  of 
rds,  but  on  a  vigorous 
alarm  note,  swift  as  a 
tops,  or  darting,  devious 
saplings. 

nes  in  half  an  hour,  and 
ei,  or  happily  wearied 
m  gun  achieve,  of  cast 
wenty  feet,  harmless  at 
sh  in  gunshot  of  pot- 

s  in  the  tufted  fern  and 
:  warm  westering  hill- 
and  chestnut;  whether 
heltered  by  fern,  dock- 
maple  swamp,  it  needs 
ed  motion,  the  instinct- 
ict  nose,  and  absolute 
;h  dog  of  the  thorough 
unchly!  lliin,  whether 
Dng  the  leafless  stems, 


and  lost  the  next  among  the  tufted  tops  of  the  yet  verdant  alders; 
whether  he  soar  away,  with  his  sharp  whistle,  far,  far  above  the 
red  and  yellow  tre<  tops ;  whether  he  pitch,  now  here,  now  there, 
sharply  anil  suddenly,  among  close  saplings,  it  needs  the  eye  of 
faith,  the  fmger  of  instinct,  the  steady  nerves,  the  deliberate 
celerity,  the  marking  glance,  which  characterize  the  true  sports- 
man, the  crack  shot — who,  as  poor  Cypress  a\  erred  truly,  is  born 
like  the  poet,  not  made  like  the  oiator — to  cut  down  at  his  speed, 
not  wing-tippeil  or  leg-broken,  but  riddled  by  the  concentrated 
charge,  turned  over  and  over  in  mid  air,  arrested  inercifully  by 
quick  and  unerring  death,  and  falling  with  a  heavy  ///«</,  which 
tells  good  thing--  of  ten  ounces'  weight,  on  the  brown  leaves  of 
gorgeous  autumn. 

My  words  are  weak  to  describe  the  full  charm  of  this  noble 
pastime — noble  when  followed,  as  it  should  be,  in  the  true  animus 
and  ardor  of  the  chase,  but  most  ignoble  when  perverted  to  base 
culinarv,  carnal,  gluttonous,  self-seeking;  weak  are  they  when 
compared  with  the  vivid  and  heart-thrilling  reality.  Yet  read 
them,  gentle  legislators ;  spurn  not  the  hilloi scolofax — long  though 
it  be,  in  no  wise  tedious — spurn  not  the  humble  petition  of  the 
sportsman.  .lact!  enact!  and  save  our  gentle,  well-born  wood- 
cock ;  pri-serve  our  harmless  occupation  t'rom  the  untimely  end 
which  threatens  it.  And  ye,  oh  generous  club,  who  hold  your 
meetings  under  the  sign  and  sanction  of  the  nob'e  woodcock, 
perpend,  and  ponder.  Judge  if  it  be  not  for  the  best  to  adopt  inj' 
plan  for  our  bird's  safeguard  :  one  common  day  of  killing  in  all 
our  northern  country,  for  all  states,  all  counties,  so  we  shall  shun 
all  caviling,  and   that   one  day   the  first   day    of  October.     And 

thou,  Colonel  D —  P r,  famous  although  thy  race  of  pointers, 

great  although  li'.y  renown  with  the  Manton,  bear  my  words 
and  repent;  thou  who,  a  member  of  that  same  sportsmen's  club 
in  Gotham;  thou  who,  although  thou  didst,  alas,  know  better, 
didst  most  feloniously  and  basely — taking  ralvantage  of  a  flaw  in 
Jersey  law — anticipate  thy  brother  sportsmen  and  shoot  woodcock 
long  before  the  fourth  day  of  July,  on  our  friend  Pom  Dekay's 
fine  farm,  nigh  unto  Vernon,  in  good  Sussex  County.  Oh,  fie 
on  thee!  repent!  repe     ,  and  be  tbrgiven! 

Oh!  if  there  be  a  clause  in  the  New  Jersey  statute  permitting 


44 


Till-:  n  (>()/)( oih' 


t'vtrv  lami owner  to  sla\  yaine,  in  or  onl  •>>'  M'aNon,  or.  liis  own 
farm, — to  wrinn  tlif  nctk  of  the  hen  c|uail  siitiiij;  upon  lu-r 
speckled  e^Lt^.  to  murder  llie  hen  woodcock  liovcriut;  her  helpless 
voun^, — it' that  sanie  clause  I'inpower  tliat  owner  to  authorize  iiis 
triend  to  do  like  slianietiil  luunler,  does  it  helit  the  gentle  and 
the  generous,  the  courteous  uiul  the  chivalrous — tor  such  shou'd 
the  true  sportsman  he — to  avail  himself  f>l'  ~o  miserable  a  petti- 
fojifjinj;   suhtertUKi?     Ashamed  to   hear    ol     it,    lluiu    werl,    t'ol. 

U —   1' r;  for  thou  iliiNi   hlush,  confused,  and   slammer  taint 

apology,  when  chaiijed  with  Ihv  misdoitiifs.  W'hv  not  ashamed 
to  do  it,  nallanl  colonel.'  Or  how  shall  ::■<•  dare  to  enforce  the 
law,  or  prav  for  le;,nslalive  aid  to  save  our  proper  birds  from 
others,  if  one  I'roin  amonn  (uu-sclves  resort  to  -mall  evasion, 
descend  to  dirtv  depreilalioiis.- 

1  trust,  indeed,  that  the  day  "ill  ere  lonij  ariive— if  not  ere 
long,  Iheii  will  it  iu\ei  he — when  all  true  sportsmen,  and  their 
naiue,  in  this  land  of  yuns,  is  lc;;ioii,  will  set  their  f.ices  steadilv 
toward  ;4ame  protection,  as  steadilv  against  those  lalse  brothers  of 
the  gun.  who,  crving  oul.  "protect!"  "protect!"  yet  lose,  them- 
selves, no  opporlunitv,  when  unsuspecU'd  or  unseen,  of  slaugh- 
tering for  the  bag,  and  for  the  brtii,'-,  at  all  risks,  in  all  manners, 
and  at  all  seasons. 

There  certainly  is  no  more  manly,  no  more  salubrious,  no 
more  animating  sport  than  the  pursuit  of  gatne,  with  the  traiiu'd 
dog  and  the  gun.  It  naturally  induces  hartlihood,  and  strength 
of  limb,  freeness  of  breath,  vigor  of  constitution;  it  makes  men 
familiar  with  those  works  of  God,  in  the  field  and  forest,  which 
are  imknown  to  the  dwellers  of  pent  cities.  To  the  studious  and 
scdcntarv  scholar,  it  is  a  salutary  change  of  habits,  a  better  tonic 
and  restorative  than  any  bark  or  bitters;  to  the  rich  citizen,  the 
man  of  wealth,  and  luxury,  and  leisme,  it  is  almost  the  only 
thing  that  shall  save  him  from  driveling  down  into  a  mere 
gluttonous  sensualist,  or  yet  worse,  a  mere  effeminate  man- 
itiilliner.  It  leads  us  into  the  wildest  and  the  lairest  scenes  of 
nature;  it  brings  us  quietly  to  think  and  ponder  with  our>tlves; 
it  teaches  us  the  habits  and  instincts  of  those  interior  animals 
which  we  too  much  incline  to  undervalue;  it  causes  us  to  weigh 
their  instincts,  to  compare  them  with  our  own  boasted  reason; 


it  discove 
has  gii'tM 
suited  to 

Does 
ami  to  li 
nun,  and 

1,  lor 
moiiious 
the  unpr 
arrani  to 
thai,  in  t 
world  al- 
almighty 
our  neigl 
ing  them 

1  helii 
used  in  i 
innocent 
pastime, 
incalcula 
sure,  at  I 
nor  do  I 
that  sou 
degree  o 
mens  suit 
better  im 
which  lit 
hypocris 

Xeno 
the  maki 
day,  it  is 
ness — to 
hunger, 
must  iiu 
constitut 
this  all  ; 
instinct! 


TilE   WOODCOCK 


4S 


111'  M'Usou,  OI-.  his  own 
iiuil  siltiiijj  iipdii  lu'i 
c  hovcriiij;  lii-r  lit-lploss 
owner  to  aiilliori/f  liis 
t  bi-rtl  tlu-  fjentk'  ami 
r<Jii* — for  sui'li  sliou'd 
<r  -o  miserable  a  petli- 
il  it,  lliou  werl,  I'ol. 
f(l,  ami  stamnuT  taint 
;s.  W'liv  not  iislianii'il 
;>•  dare  to  entbrce  tlie 
lur  proper  liirds  I'roni 
ort    to    -mall    evasion, 

onu  an  ivi'  -il   not   ere 

.'  sportsmen,  and  their 

:.et  their  tares  steadil\ 

those  talse  brothers  of 

)lect !"   vet  lose,  them 

or   unseen,  ot'  slanijh- 

risks,  in  all   manners, 

0  more  salubrious,  no 
fjame,  with  the  trained 
ardihood,  and  strenf(th 
itution;  it  makes  men 
field  and  forest,  which 

'I'o  the  studious  and 
)t'  habits,  a  better  tonic 
fo  the  rich  citi/en,  the 
it  is  almost  the  only 
ig  down  into  a  mere 
mere    etTeminate    man- 

1  the  (airest  scenes  of 
louder  with  ourselves; 
those  interior  animals 

i  il  causes  us  to  weigh 
r  own  boasted  reason; 


it  iliscovers  to  us  lliat  the  poorest  bird,  the  humblest  nuadruped, 
has  j^ii'ts  and  allril)utes  greater  than  we  possess,  and  exiiuisitily 
suited  to  its  wanl> 

Does  it  not  lead  u^,  lIuii,  to  sell'cxamiiialiou  in  some  sort 
and  to  humilit\  .-  to  the  knowledge  ot' oui-.elves,  ol  our  leMoW 
nun,  and  ol'  the  j^rrat  works  ol  our  Maker? 

1,  for  one,  think  so;  and  1  never  hear  a  yreasv  lacid,  sauiti- 
mouious  lellow  ill!  laim  ai;ain-.t  toe  cruellv,  the  wantonness  and 
the  unprotitahlene^-  ot  field  sports,  but  I  -.el  him  ilown  for  an 
arrant  t'ool,  or  an  arrant  hypocrite.  Hut  I  long  to  as>ure  hinj 
that,  in  the  e\  e^  of  Heaven — ami,  (iod  be  IhankeO,  e\eu  in  litis 
world  al-o — some  pursuits  are  luld  prot'iiahle  besides  thai  of  the 
almij^hl y  ilollar  ;  and  some  amusements  innocent  besides  cheating 
our  litiglibors  in  the  street,  and  calling  thai  business;  or  slander- 
ing them  by  the  lireside,  and  calling  thai  conversation! 

1  believe,  therefore,  that  field-sports,  not  carried  to  excess,  but 
used  in  their  proper  places,  and  at  their  proper  times,  are  very 
innocent,  very  creditable,  and  very  profitable,  and  very  improving 
pastime.  I'or  my  own  |)art,  I  know  that  they  have  ministered 
incalculably  to  the  improvement  of  my  bodily  health  ;  ami  1  am 
sure,  at  least,  that  they  have  not  deteriorated  my  mental  faculties; 
nor  do  I  conceive  how  anv  reasonable  man  can  fail  to  discover 
that  some  inducement  is  necessary  to  lead  men  to  take  that 
degree  of  exercise  which  is  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  the 
mens  siiiiii  ill  corporf  stiiio ;  and  that  there  can  be  lu)  stiongeror 
better  inducement  than  this  ancient  ami  masculine  amusement, 
which  never  was  decried  until  these  ell'ete  days,  rich  mainly  in 
hypocrisy  and  humbug. 

Xenophon  said,  of  old,  that  there  was  no  sport  so  suitable  to 
the  making  of  soldiers,  as  this  said  sjiort  of  hunting;  and  to  this 
day,  it  is  true  that  the  ability — nay,  not  ability  only,  but  willing- 
ness— to  endure  all  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  of  thiist  and 
hunger,  of  fatigue  and  watchl'ulness,  to  which  the  spoitsnian 
must  inure  himself,  is  that  precisely  which  in  the  highest  degree 
constitutes  the  aptitude  of  the  citi/en  to  be  the  soldier.  N'or  is 
this  all ;  for  the  readiness  of  hand  and  quickness  of  eye,  the 
instinctive  rapidity  of  thought  and  glance,  and  the  coolness  undev 


46 


riiE  wooncncK. 


Hurprisc,  which   Ihi-   sporlKmnn   must   iu'kIk  acquirt-  it"  ho  would 
be  MiifCfHsfnl,  nrc  qualitioK  more  requi-ite  than  any  to  tin-  warrior. 

Ilepi'iuliiii,'  iiH  Amt'rica  ilocs  inaiiilv,  it'  not  entirely,  lor  iier 
defenci-,  on  thf  I'aiilily  ol'  I'onvcrtint^  her  citizi-ns  into  soitliiTh,  I 
tiiink  that  all  consislont  tni-aiih  hhould  lii;  taken  to  prevent  that 
of  which  I  I'ani'v  there  i>  some  (hin^jer,  at  least  in  the  jjreat  cities; 
theKrowtli.  '  mean,  of  luxury  ami  elleininate  hahits  ainon^  tlu- 
rising  ^jeneration. 

Destroy  (iaine — abolish  (ield  sports,  and  you  aholisli  the  most 
manly  of  exercises;  you  leave  the  loun)(e  in  fashionable  streets, 
or  the  drive  in  easy  chariots  as  the  sole  out-ot"  doors  amusement 
of  the  wealthy  man;  and  to  the  poor  man  \ou  leave  none  at  all, 
but  rioting  and  what  is  termed  ro-Miyism — if  these  can  be  called 
amusLmenls. 

l'"or  all  these  reasons,  therel'ore,  I  think  it  hij;hlv  ailvisahU' 
that  till'  externiin.ilion  ol  i,'aMie  in  the  vicinity  of  our  lar^je  cities 
Khould  be  previ'iited  il'  possible;  and  that  it  can  oiilv  be  prevented 
by  the  speedy  interposition  of  the  states'  le:{islalures,  backed  by  a 
truer  ami  more  sinjjle  spirit  than  now  exists  among  those  who 
are  proml  of  the  name,  even  when  they  possess  too  few  of  the 
attributes  of  honorable  sportsmen.  I  hol.l  certain. 

To  these,  therefore,  I  api>eal  in  protection,  especially,  of  the 
wood<:ock — which  will,  most  assuredly,  before  ten  yeais  have 
elapsed,  be  as  utterly  exterminated,  within  fifty  miles  of  New- 
York,  and  within  the  like  circuit  of  all  other  large  cities,  as  are 
the  deer  and  the  heath-hen — nay,  the  wild  turkeys,  which  once 
peopled  our  own  hunting-grounds. 

In  conclusion — 1  find,  on  relerence  to  my  last  article  on  this 
subject,  that  1  made  allusion  to  a  mode  of  killing  the  woodcock 
commonly  practised  in  the  southern  states,  which  is  so  singular, 
and  so  completely  at  variance  with  all  our  ideas  of  sporting  in 
these  regions,  that  it  deserves  mention,  and  will,  I  doubt  not,  be 
interesting  to  manv  readers  who  mav  never  have  heard  of  such  a 
process — which,  unheard  of,  they  certainly  never  would  imagine. 

This  process  is  termed  fire-hunting;  it  is  carried  on, of  course, 
at  night,  and  arises  from  the  habits  of  the  bird  in  that  section  of 
the  country,  which  differ  wholly  from  its  usages  while  here. 

In  Louisiana  and   Mississippi,   where,   chiefly,  this   mode  of 


sporting 

in  the  dt 

sect   and 

wherein 

unprofiti 

killed   Ol 

toil    woi 

pursuit. 

No  s^ 

by   thou 

siiles  in 

nibbling 

worm  d 

Here 

bag.  pov 

Sir  u  lid  II I 

high  str 

ent  poin 

an  old, 

with  thi 

set  erec 

with   li^ 

bustiblc 

Arri 

fuel  ser 

circumi 

ten  yan 

than  at 

his   rigl 

along  o 

cock,  c 

nated  e 

springs 

light,  i( 

darknc 

advant 

— neve 

ging  h 


Tim   WOODCOCK. 


47 


Is  acquire  if  l.i;  would 
liati  aiiv  to  till'  warrior. 
I"  not  fiitin«ly,  tor  lier 
•itizfii*  into  KoUlitTK,  I 
laken  to  prevent  that 
fast  in  the  great  cities; 
late  lialiits  anions  tlu- 

I  vow  aliolisii  the  nio.st 
in   tasjiionable  RfrectH, 

it-of  iloors  amusement 
\<)u  leave  none  at  all, 

-if  these  can  be  calleil 

k  it  lii^hlv  advisahU' 
lilv  of  our  larj;e  cilie^ 
can  oiilv  be  prevented 
t^islalures,  backed  by  a 
ists  among  those  who 
possess  too  few  of  the 
•ertain. 

tion,  especiallv,  of  the 
liefore  ten  \eai s  have 
in  fiftv  miles  of  New 
luT  large  cities,  as  are 
d  turkeys,  wliich  once 

my  last  article  on  this 
f  killing  the  woodcock 
K,  which  is  so  singular, 
,ir  ideas  of  sporting  in 
il  will,  I  doubt  not,  he 
■r  have  heard  of  such  a 

never  would  imagine, 
is  carried  on,  of  course, 

bird  in  that  section  of 
isagcs  while  here. 

chiefly,  this   mode  of 


sporting  prevaiU,  the  woodcock  lies  during  the  day-time  entirely 
in  the  dense  eaiiebrakes  and  impenetrable  swamps  which  inter- 
sect and  divide  the  cultivateil  lands  and  ricli  plantations,  and 
wherein  it  would  be  almo»t  impossible,  and  altogether  weary  ami 
unprofitable  to  attempt  to  follow  him;  as  he  could  hardly  he 
killed  on  the  wing  in  such  covert  as  is  then'  t'ouiul.  while  the 
toil  would  be  incomparably  greater  than  the  pleasure  of  the 
pursuit. 

No  sooner  is  it  dark,  however,  than  out  the  woodcocks  come 
by  thousands,  from  their  fastnesses,  and  pitching  down  on  all 
sides  in  the  old  faUls  and  maiite  >fubbles,  apply  themselves  to 
nibbling  and  boring  in  the  soft  rich  loam  for  their  succulent 
worm  diet. 

Hereupon  the  tire  hunt  com.nences.  With  gun  and  game- 
bag,  pow<ler  tiask  and  sliol-pouch,  and  all  appliances  and  i.-.L-ans 
.«rr««c/««i  r/r/(V«,  the  sportsman  lallies  forth;  Init  no  silkv-haireJ, 
high  strung,  sagacious  setter — no  saimskinneil,  rat  tailed,  obedi- 
ent pointer  follows  his  master's  heels.  In  lieu  of  Don  or  Sancho, 
an  old,  craflv,  griz/.lepateil.  merry  negro  comes  forth,  equipped 
with  the  brazen  vessel  of  a  warming-pan,  or  the  like  instrument, 
set  erect  on  a  pole  of  some  ten  or  twelve  feel  in  length,  and  filled 
with  lightwood,  pine  knots,  or  such  like  bright-burning  com- 
bustibles. 

Arrived  on  the  feeding-ground,  a  light  is  applied  ;  the  quick 
fuel  sends  out  a  broad,  ruddy  glare;  and  as  the  bearer  slow'v 
circumambulates  the  field,  a  circle  of  intense  lustre  is  s'led  for 
ten  vards  around  him,  rtivlering  every  object  more  clearly  visible 
than  at  noon-day.  The  siiooter  walks  close  to  the  tire  bearer,  on 
his  right  hand,  and  ever  and  anon,  as  the  circular  glare  passes 
along  over  the  surface  of  the  grf)und,  his  eye  detects  the  wood- 
cock, crouching  close  to  the  earth,  and  gazi.ig  with  its  full,  f.isci- 
nated  eve  u|)on  the  strange  illumination.  The  next  instant,  up  il 
springs,  dizzy  and  contused;  and  soaring  upward  toward  the 
light,  it  is  seen  for  a  second,  and  then  is  lost  in  the  surrounding 
darkness;  but  of  that  one  quick  second  the  sportsman  takes 
advantage,  and  by  a  snapshot  cuts  him  down  with  a  light  charge 
— never  killing  a  bird  at  above  ten  pace  ;  distant,  and  often  bag- 
ging his  hundred  in  a  single  evening's  \.ork. 


I 


.*' 


4« 


THE  sh'ah. 


ThiK  inoilf  of  cock--liootin>r  nrJM-K,  as  it  in  evidint,  rx  neri-.in.u. 
tut,  tn  aiiil  may,  for  ii  uliile,  be  huiruuntlv  cxiitiiijf.  Ii  niiihi, 
howfVfr,  liu:k  all  that  variety  wliicli  is  the  i-it'at  charm  of  our 
northern  shootlnK— varifly  whii-h  ariM-h  iVoin  flio  working  ol'  ihf 
fintiloiiK,  ohciliciit  ativl  well  triiineil  iIo^n,  in  ohservinx  whose 
c.xijuisite  itihtirct,  tine  attitude"  and  beautilul  doeility,  imjiulue, 
lifN  hair  the  pU'aHure  of  Held  sports;  v";lety  whieh,  toKether 
with  the  lovely  M'enery,  the  hrisk,  breezy  air,  and  llu'  exullinK 
hense  ol"  pirsoiial  indepeiulcnce  and  perHonal  power,  sprinKiiitf 
Irum  these,  and  Iroin  the  j^low  ot  eheerful  exerciiie,  renders  these 
sports,  to  aetjve,  energetic  and  enthiisiastie  minds,  the  liist  ol' 
pleasures,  and  almost  a  necessary  relief  from  the  dull  monotony 
of  every  day  existence. 
TllK  Ckdahk,  Dei-,  a,  1S15, 

NuTK.-'riii'  flnqiinil  and  tniuhlnK  appciil  of  ••  Krunk  Forester"  for  the 
preservation  of  the  wooilriuU,  ami  tlie  aliolitir>n  of  siiiiimer  iiliootiii(;.  is  as 
pertinent  to  ilay  as  when  first  penned,  nearly  forty  years  a^o.  Although  a 
voire  of  the  past,  It  comes  with  reilnubleil  force,  when  conteinplatiuK  the  sad 
depletion  of  onr  Kume  birds  in  the  years  which  have  since  flown,  by  thf 
abomination  known  as  summer  shoolinK.— Kditok, 


III. 

THE     QUAIL, 

'T'ETIiAO  Cntiiinis,  I-in.  Coturnix  Vir/rinianus,  Latham. 
Ortyx  Vifi^^iuidiiii.t.  .Si«  William  jardine.  The  .ig«fl//,  of 
the  Eastern  and  Middle,  the  Partyidire  of  the  Southern  .States. 
This  beautiful  little  bird  affords  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
examples  of  those  errors  and  confusions  in  the  nomenclature  of 
game,  to  which  I  alluded,  in  the  first  paper  of  this  series,  as  being 
so  general  in  this  country.  It  would  appear,  indeed,  at  first  sight, 
and  I  suspect  not  quite  untruly,  that  we  have  derived  the  names 
of  all  our  game,  and  many  of  our  common  song-birds,  from  the 


M 


it  i^  evident,  f.v  Hfrr.s.i.ii- 

iil.v  I'xritinx.  It  imi»t, 
till'  i;rfat  charm  of  mii 
lom  fill'  woikii^  oi'  tlif 
'«,  in  obxtTvinn  wliosi- 
itiful  (locilitv,  iHf  jiidiii', 
■■^lit'tv  wiiiih,  ti)i{i'iluT 
;.v  nir,  ami  tin-  exulli?!^ 
soiiai  power,  spritiKiii^ 
1  i-vcni>.f,  niulcrs  tlii'M' 
istic  nlillll^,  till'  rn>t  of 
oin  tlic  dull  monotony 


"  I'rank  I'drrster"  for  the 
(if  MiiiiniL'r  tliDdtiiiK,  is  a» 
rty  yi'iirs  iiKo.  AltlvMi({li  a 
vlien  cnntt'inplnliiit;  tlic  sad 
I   linve  since   flown,   by  the 


Virffiniaittis,  Latham. 
RHINE.  The  .ig'""/,  of 
f  the  Southern  States, 
the  most  remarkable 
in  the  nomenclature  of 
•of  this  series,  as  being 
r,  indeed,  at  tirst  sight, 
ave  derived  the  names 
n  song-birds,  from  the 


THE  SlUML. 


4') 


rude  and  uiipolislii'd  men  vvl'.n,  foi  the  mn»t  part,  Hr-t  heltled  the 
sMMullands  of  the  United  States,  .u.d  who,  InMu  a  de^ire  to  cul- 
Ijvate  some  ple,t-.anl  memories  of  home  In  their  new  coiintrv, 
>;ave  to  sueh  varietie-.  as  they  found  heie,  having  the  slightest 
allinitv  to  the  unforgotten  aniinaU  of  Kumiie,  nani'solien  incmi- 
gruons  and  untitling.  This  hinl  is  one  of  tin'  iiislMiues  in 
question;  and  coiiMipientlv,  we  t'lnd  that  il  has,  ni  fact,  no  name 
,il  all  ill  the  I'nited  .Slale>— itN  appellation  being  iii.uli'  In  depeiul 
altogether  on  that  ol  another  bird  in  no  wi-.e  conneeled  with  it  - 
the  rutVed  grouse,  immely,  /<•//•.((/  iimhiUnn;  which  it  has  pleased 
the  original  n<>melu•lalor^  to  call  vaiioii'.ly  /i(i>/nifj;i'  ni\A  />//iiis,ni/, 
to  neither  of  which  -picieh  does  il  bear  nuuh  moie  roemblanci- 
than  does  an  owl  to  a  woodcock,  or  a  ganu-lowl  to  ;i  turkey. 

Where  the  rullVil  grouse  i>  called  a  pailiid^e,  the  bird  of  which 
we  are  now  spe.iking  is  calleii  a  ipiail — only,  1  believe,  because  il 
is  siTiall  than  the  ollur,  and  because,  In  linglaiul,  the  quail  is 
the  next  i^allinaiieous  fowl  in  hize  alter  the  partridge.  Where  the 
rull'ed  grouse  is  called  the  pluasaiit,  oiu'  bird  beciunrs  the  part- 
ridge, Irom  precisely  the  same  analogy  in  size,  ami  in  lliat  only, 
to  European  g.ime. 

With  regard  to  the  rulled  grouse,  there  can  be  no  iiucstion 
for  a  moment  by  what  name  he  should  be  calletl;  for  he  is  a 
distinct  variety  of  a  well-known  genus — several  varieties  being 
found  in  the  United  States,  and  yet  others  in  tlie  Hrilish  posses- 
sions and  the  Or^'gon  territory.  lie  is  neither  partridge  nor 
pheasant,  but  a  distinct  feather  legged  grouse,  and  properly  tailed 
rutfed  or  tif'pi't  irfousf:,  from  the  beautiful  long  neck  feathers, 
which,  though  pendulous  in  the  unexcited  stale  of  Ihe  bird,  are 
set  up  in  the  form  of  a  magniricenl  rulf,  while  ihe  tail  is  lamied 
like  that  of  a  peacock  or  turkey,  by  the  amorous  male  ilming  the 
breeding  season.  It  is,  therefore  eipially  unsportsinan-like  and 
unscientitic  to  call  the  bird  pheasiini  or  jiartridge :  and  it  is 
moreover  as  needless  as  it  is  a  slujiid  barbarism,  since  the  bird 
has  an  excellent  good  name  of  its  own,  by  which  il  should  iiuar- 
iablv  be  styleil,  whether  in  wri'.ing  or  in  conversation,  by  every 
one  claiming  to  share  the  spirit  of  Ihe  gentle  sport. 

As  conci'rns  our  little  friend,  whom  1  judge  it  best  to  desig- 
nate as  (juitil— (or  reasons  which   1   will  briefly  give  hereafter— 


rr 


,1 


so 


THE  ^UAIL. 


this  is  not  altogether  the  case;  for,  singular  as  it  may  r  ipear,  he 
is  so  unfortunate  as  to  possess  no  legitimate  or  scientifii;  English 
name  whatever.  Formerly,  he  was  classed  by  raturalists  as  a 
variety  of  the  quail — Tctyao  Cotuniix  o(  Linnneus — and  as  such 
was  denominated  Coturnix  Virffinianiis,  Virginia  quail,  owing  to 
>'ie  fact,  doubtless,  that  in  Virginia  he  was  found  most  abun- 
dantly, perhaps  only,  on  the  first  landing  of  English  settlers  in 
America. 

It  has  been,  however,  more  recently  determined,  and  I  pre- 
sume correctly,  that  this  bird  is  not  a  variety  of  quail,  but  a 
distinct  species,  peculiar  to  the  New  World,  and  situate  about 
midway  between  the  tribes  of  partridges  and  quails;  and  the 
investigators  of  these  differences,  which  consist  in  the  greater 
hardness  and  peculiar  shape  of  the  bill  of  the  American  bird 
and  in  sonie  dissimilarity  in  the  shape  of  the  wing,  have  agreed 
to  designate  the  new  variety,  scientifically,  as  Ortyx  Virn-i/iianus, 
but  have  assigned  to  him  no  name  whatever  in  the  vernacular. 

I  may  here  be  permitted  to  observe,  that  the  new  term,  or/v.v, 
as  a  designation  of  a  new  genus,  or  sub-genus,  is  absurdly  ill- 
chosen ;  since  the  old  name,  Cotiiynix  VirffiniatiKS,  signifies 
Virginian  quail,  in  Latin,  while  Orlyx  Viy^nnianim  signifies  pre- 
cisely the  same  thing  in  Latiiiizi'd  Creek. 

Now,  it  is  partly  for  this  reason  that  I  would  retain  the  old 
English  name  of  quail,  in  preference  to  that  of  partridge,  for  this 
American  spe-ies  ;  since  I  consider  the  choice  of  the  title,  by  the 
distinguished  naturalists  who  have  adopted  the  designation  or/y.v, 
to  indicate  that  the  bird  is,  in  their  opinion,  more  nearly  allied  to 
the  quail  than  to  the  partridge. 

Again,  the  size,  weight,  haunts  and  habits  of  the  .\merican 
bird,  all  very  nearly  resemble  those  of  the  European  quail;  while 
they  are  exceedingly  unlike  those  of  European  partridges,  of 
which  there  are  two  varieties — the  gray,  or  English,  and  the  red- 
legged,  or  French  species. 

The  American  bird  is,  perhaps,  an  ounce  heavier  than  the 
European  quail,  while  it  is  full  one-half  lighter  than  either  of  the 
partridges.  The  American  bird,  like  the  European  quail,  fre- 
quents bushy  ground,  and  the  skirts  of  woodland,  and  often  takes 
to   the   tree,  and   perches       The   European  partridges  are  very 


THE  ^UAIL. 


S' 


X  as  it  may  r  ipear,  he 
ite  or  Rcientifii;  English 
sed  by  raturalists  as  a 
Linnaeus — and  as  sucii 
Virginia  quail,  owing  to 
ivas  found  most  abun- 
l  of  English  settlers  in 

ietermined,  and  I  pre- 

variety  of   quail,  but  a 

orld,  and   situate  about 

s  and  quails;    and  the 

consist  in  the  greater 

of  the  American  bird 

the  wing,  have  agreed 

,  as  Orlyx  Virginianiis, 

■er  in  the  vernacular. 

lat  the  new  term,  ortvx, 

genus,   is   absurdly  ill- 

VirffinianuSy    signifies 

rginianiis  signifies  pre- 

I  would  retain  the  old 
lat  of  partridge,  for  this 
loice  of  the  title,  by  the 
d  the  designation  oriyx, 
n,  more  nearly  allied  to 

liabits  of  the   American 

European  quail;  while 

European    partridges,  of 

ar  English,  and  the  red- 

mnce  heavier  than  the 
ghter  than  either  of  the 
le  European  quail,  fre- 
Dodland,  and  often  takes 
.'an  partridges  are  very 


rarelv  found  in  th,-  shrubbery  or  coppice,  and  are  never  known 
to  perch.  The  American  '.ad,  like  the  European  quail,  is  migra- 
tory. The  Europi'un  partridge  never  removes,  unless  in  conse- 
quence of  unrelenting  pursuit,  far  from  the  fields  on  which  he  is 
bred;  and  lastly,  the  cry,  the  flight  and  the  plumage  of  the 
American  bird,  very  closely  resemble  those  of  his  compeer,  the 
quail  of  Europe. 

Hence  I  consider  ^luitl  to  be  his  correct  name,  in  common 
parlance;  1  should  wish  to  see  Am,-yican  ^uail  adopted  as  his 
title  in  works  on  ornithology  ;  and  I  sincerely  trust  that  I  shall 
live  to  see  one  general  name,  and  that  name  qnuil,  adopted  by  all 
sportsmen  in  the  United  .States,  thereby  avoiding  the  palpable 
absurdity  of  shooting,  I  will  suppose,  twenty  of  these  birds,  and 
two  or  tiiree  ruff.jd  grouse,  in  the  morning,  in  New  Jersey— the 
former  being  quails  and  the  latter  partridges;  and,  in  the  after- 
noon, walking  across  abridge  over  the  Delaware,  and  shooting 
more  birds  of  each  kind  in  Pennsylvania,  which  shall  there  and 
then  have  become  partridges  and  flirasmits.  Heaven  save  the 
mark!  When  it  is  as  clear  as  day  that  there  is  not  a  single 
variety  of  partridge  or  pheasant  to  be  found  on  the  whole  conti- 
nent of  America,  North  and  .South. 

The  pheasant  is  an  .Vsiatic  bird,   like  the  peacock  ;  originally 
found  on   the    southern    shores  of   the    Black    Sea,  and    thence 
imported  into  Europe,  where  it  ha~  tliriven   wonderfully;    so  that 
in   Germanv  and   France,  and   yet   more   so  in    England,  it  has 
become   indiginous  and   abundant.       Many  attempts    have  been 
made  to  naturalize  it  in  this  country,  but  entirely   without  suc- 
cess; owing,  1  lancy,  to  the  want  of  moisture  in  the  climate,  and 
to  the  summer  droughts,  rather  than  to  the  severity  of  the  winter 

season. 

Having  premised  thm.  much  concerning  his  name,  1  will 
desrrihe  our  bird  brielly,  and  then  proceed  to  his  habits  and 
haunts,  which  are  both  curious  and  interesti.ig;  and  indicative 
of  a  higher  degree  of  instinct  than  is  usual  to  birds  of  this  tribe, 
and  seemingly  more  nearly  allied  to  reason. 

The  quail'is  about  nine  inches  in  length,  from  the  tip  of  his 
bill  to  the  extremity  of  the  toes,  by  twelve  in  width,  from  wing 
to  wing,  when  extended.     Though  apparently  much  smaller  than 


I 

i 

IS 


S3 


THE  ^UAIL. 


the  woodcock,  hi-  is  not  tmicli  lighter,  for  not  onlv  are  bis  feathers 
closer  ami  more  compact,  hut  he  is  rouiuler  and  plumper  in 
proportion  to  his  length;  and  when  well  grown  and  lull  fed, 
weighs  from  seven  to  nine  ounces,  although  he  rarely  attains  the 
maximum. 

His  hill  is  strong  and  horny,  the  upper  mandihlc  considerably 
arched;  and  the  whole  instrument  constituting  an  apjiaralus 
calculated  to  break  the  shells  of  the  hardest  seeds,  as  well  as  a 
weapon  capable  of  inflicting  severe  wounds  on  his  rivals;  for  he 
ii>  scarcely  less  pugnacious  than  the  game-cock;  and  is  still  kept 
for  the  same  purpose  by  the  Chinese  and  Malays,  as  he  was  of 
old  by  the  polished  ilemocrats  of  Athens. 

Mis  eye  is  large,  black  and  very  lively.  The  back  ol  his  head, 
neck,  shoulders,  wing-coverts,  and  rump,  are  all  beautilully 
mottled  with  brown,  black  and  chestnut,  each  feather  having  a 
yellowish  margin,  and  a  dark,  irregular  line,  diverging  from  the 
point  towards  the  stem.  The  quills  and  tail  are  of  a  rich,  reddish 
btown,  broadly  barred   with  black. 

In  the  cock-bird,  the  cheeks  and  chin  are  snow-white,  with 
the  exception  of  a  dark  streak,  running  upward  fr.nn  the  angle 
of  the  eyes.  In  the  hen  they  are  a  bright  ochreous  vellow.  The 
breast,  in  both,  is  while,  speckled  with  wavy  lines  of  black, 
something  like  arrow-heads  in  shape,  pointing  downward  toward 
the  tail ;  the  legs  are  protected  by  strong  scales,  of  an  olive 
brown,  and  the  male  bird  has  rather  a  formidable  spur. 

Otherwise  there  is  no  distinction  between  the  sexes,  which  are 
similar  in  eye  and  shape;  except,  ptirhaps,  that  the  colors  of  the 
hen  are  somewhat  less  vivid  and  distinct  than  those  of  the  male, 
as  is  generally'  the  case  in  the  animal  creation. 

It  will  be  seen  at  once  from  this  description,  that  our  .Vmerican 
quail  is  a  mo  t  beautiful  little  bird;  but  his  beauties  do  not  con- 
sist merely  in  hi>  plumage,  but  in  his  gait,  his  pretty,  pert  move- 
ments, his  great  vivacity,  his  joyful  altitudes,  his  constant  and 
cheerfnl  activity. 

lie  is  in  all  respects  the  most  social,  the  merriest,  the  most 
amiable  of  his  tribe.  During  the  breeding  season  he  alone,  of 
the  gallinaceous  tribe,  makes  wood  and  mead  resound  with  his 
shrill,  merry  whistle — whence  our  country  folk  have  framed  to 


bun  a  nai 
cheering 

A  Iter  V 
huddle  in 
perhaps  t 
cheerful  i 
"and  see 
Audubon 
creature  i 

Unlik 
-ave  the  I 
to  be  atta 
accidenta 
Hushed  Ir 
passed  o 
|)lainti\e 
male  l)ir( 
one  rutin 
soon  coll 
circle  of 
genial  wt 
in  the  ho 

If,  ho 
with  his 
sorely  thi 
for  their 
I  know  n 
me  to  hi 
whistle. 

Once 
thirteen 
passing  i 
killed  t\v 
pertectly 
two  othei 
and  drop 
I  could 
feeling  ii 


i 


Tim  .:)UA/i. 


S3 


not  oiilv  are  bis  feathers 
inder  am)  pliirn|ier  in 
t.'llj;rowii  and  lull  ted, 
lyli  lie  rarely  attains  the 

•  maiuiihlr  considerably 
silitiitinj,'  an  apparatus 
Jest  seeds,  as  well  as  a 
Is  on  his  rivals;  for  he 
;-cock;  and  is  still  kept 
li    Malays,  as  lu'  was  of 

The  back  ot  his  head, 

ip,    are    all     beautifully 

each  teather  having  a 

ne,  diverj^ing  from   the 

lil  are  of  a  rich,  reddish 

I  are  snow- white,  with 
pward  tV.jtn  the  angle 
ochreous  yellow.  The 
wavy  lines  of  black, 
ting  downward  toward 
ng  scales,  of  an  olive 
nidable  spur. 
LMi  the  sexes,  which  are 

that  the  colors  of  the 
than  those  of  the  male, 
ion. 

ion,  that  our  .Vmerican 
s  beauties  do  not  con- 

his  pretty,  pert  move- 
jdes,  his  constant  and 

;he  merriest,  the  most 
g  season  he  alone,  of 
lead  resound  with  his 
V  folk  have  trained  to 


Inm  a  name,  lioh  Whitf,  tVom  some  fancied  similarity  of  sound — 
cheering  his   faithful  |)artner  during  the  toils  of  incubation. 

Afterward,  when  the  bevies  are  collected,  as  he  runs  trom  the 
luiddU-  in  which  lie  has  passed  the  night,  he  salutes  his  brethren, 
perhaps  tliai\ks  his  L'reator  for  the  pleasant  dawn,  with  the  most 
cheerful  noise  that  can  he  fancied,  a  short,  quick,  happy  chirping, 
"and  seems  to  be,"  to  borrow  the  words  of  the  inimitable 
.\uduboii, — I  c[U()te  trom  memor;  alone,  —  "the  happiest  little 
creature  in  the  universe." 

I'nlike  the  young  broods  of  the  woodcock — which  are  mute, 
save  the  twitter  willi  which  they  rise — the  bevies  of  tpiail  appear 
to  be  attached  to  each  other  by  tender  alVect'on.  If  dispersed  by 
accidental  causes,  either  in  search  of  their  food,  or  from  being 
llushed  by  some  casual  intruder,  so  soon  as  their  first  alarm  has, 
passed  over,  they  begin  calling  to  each  other  with  a  small 
[ilaintixe  note,  ipiite  dilVerent  from  the  amorous  whistle  of  the 
male  bird,  and  trom  their  merry  day-break  cheeping,  and  each 
one  running  toward  the  sound  and  repeating  it  at  intervals,  they 
soon  collect  tluinselves  together  in  one  happy  little  family,  the 
circle  of  which  remains  unbroken  until  the  next  spring,  with  the 
yenial  weather,  brings  matrimonial  ardors,  pairing  and  courtship, 
in  the  hope  of  future  bevies. 

If,  however,  the  ruthless  sportsman  has  been  among  them, 
with  his  well-trained  setter  and  unerring  gun,  so  that  death  has 
sorely  thinned  their  numbers,  they  will  protract  their  little  call 
for  their  lost  cotnrades,  even  to  nightfall;  and,  in  such  cases — 
I  know  not  if  it  be  fancy  on  my  part — there  has  often  seemed  to 
me  to  be  an  unusual  degree  of  melancholy  in  their  wailing 
whistle. 

Once  this  struck  rne  especially.  I  had  found  a  small  bevy  of 
thirteen  birds  in  an  orchard,  close  to  a  house  in  which  I  was 
passing  a  portion  of  the  summer,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes 
killed  twelve  of  them,  for  they  lay  hard  in  the  clover,  and  it  was 
perlectlv  open  shootiMg.  The  thirteenth  and  last  bird,  rising  with 
two  others,  which  I  killed  right  and  left.  Hew  but  a  short  distance 
and  dropped  among  some  sumachs  in  the  corner  of  a  rail  fence. 
I  could  have  shot  him  certainly  enough,  but  some  undefined 
feeling  induced  me  to  call  my  dogs  to  heel  and  spare  his  little 


'f 


14 


THE  ^UAIL. 


life;  yet,  afterwards,  I  almost  regretted  what  I  eertainly  intended 
at  the  time  to  be  mercy ;  for  day  after  day,  so  long  as  I  remained 
in  tlie  country,  \  heard  his  sad  call  from  morn  till  dewy  eve, 
crying  for  his  departed  friends,  and  full,  apparently  of  memory, 
which  is,  alas,  but  too  often  another  name  for  sorrow. 

The  cjiiail  is  not  only  t!  most  sociable  of  his  tribe  in  reference 
to  his  fellows,  but  is  by  fr  ■  .ie  most  tameable  and  friendly  in  his 
uisposition  as  regards  the  general  enemy  and  universal  tyrant — 
man. 

In  the  winter  season,  when  the  ground  is  so  deeply  covered 
with  snow  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  them  to  obtain  theii- 
customary  food — the  seeds,  namely,  of  the  various  grasses  which 
they  love  the  most,  or  the  grains  which  '  scattered  in  the 
stubbles,  they  come  naturally  into  the  vicinity  of  man's  dwelling, 
anil  it  is  by  no  means  an  unusual  sight  to  perceive  them  running 
about  among  the  domestic  fowls  in  the  barn-yardj  and  flying  up, 
if  suddenly  disturbed,  to  perch  under  the  rafters  of  some  barn  or 
out-house,  seemingly  fearless  and  confident  in  such  seasons  of 
protection. 

At  this  moment,  I  have  a  bevy  of  thirteen  birds  lying  within 
three  or  four  hundred  yards  of  the  room  in  which  I  sit  writing, 
under  the  shelter  of  a  rough  wooded  bank  whereon  I  have  been 
feeding  them  with  buckwheat  since  the  heavy  snows  have  fallen, 
and  they  have  now  become  so  tame  that  they  will  allow  me  to 
approach  within  twenty  paces  of  the  spot  where  they  are  ted, 
running  about  and  picking  up  the  triangular  seeds,  perfectly 
unconcerned  in  my  presence.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  spring 
shall  have  commenced,  and  the  bevy  separated  themselves  into 
pairs,  their  wild  habits  will  return  upon  them,  and  I  shall  see  no 
more  of  my  little  friends  until  I  meet  them  next  autumn  in  the 
brown  stubble-field, — no  longer  in  the  light  of  a  protector. 

The  quail  pairs  early  in  the  month  of  February,  if  the  winter 
has  been  a  mild  one  and  the  ground  at  that  period  is  free  from 
its  snowy  winter  covering.  If,  on  the  contrary,  the  spring  be 
late  and  backward,  his  courtship  is  deferred  until  March — some- 
times even  so  late  as  to  the  beginning  of  April. 

As  soon  as  he  has  chosen  to  himself  a  mate,  the  happy  pair 
retreat  to  wide,  open,  rushy  meadows,  where  the  conformation  of 


till'  coun 

which  th 

land  is  I 

fmd  thei 

t'  red  hec 

sequestci 

open  fiel 

Most 

iluties  of 

me,  how 

proceedi 

so  early 

the  hen 

shooting 

same  gn 

I    ha 

middle  c 

end  of  J 

Theii 

most  pai 

meadow 

orchard. 

relieved 

stantly  1 

nearest  i 

the  wooi 

The 

the  youi 

is  not  ui 

shell  ad 

The 

at  once 

care  of 

him  the 

she  devi 

.So  fi 

second, 

Hence, 


THE  .'DUAIL. 


^^ 


hat  I  certainly  intended 
\\  so  long  as  I  remained 
n  morn  till  dewy  eve, 
apparently  of  niemor}', 
'.  lor  sorrow, 
of  his  tribe  in  reference 
iable  and  friendly  in  his 
and  universal  tyrant — 

d  is  so  deeply  covered 
ir  them  to  obtain  theii- 
e  various  grasses  which 
z\\  '  scattered  in  the 
inity  of  man's  dwelling, 
i  perceive  them  running 
irn-yardj  and  Hying  up, 
rafters  of  some  barn  or 
lent  in  such  seasons  of 

teen  birds  lying  within 
I  in  which  I  sit  writing, 
k  whereon  1  have  been 
eavy  snows  have  fallen, 
;  they  will  allow  me  to 
iQt  where  they  are  fed, 
ngular  seeds,  perfectly 
however,  as  the  spring 
)arated  themselves  into 
bem,  and  1  shall  see  no 
;m  next  autumn  in  the 
lit  of  a  protector. 
P'ebruary,  if  the  winter 
that  period  is  free  from 
contrary,  the  spring  be 
ed  until  March — some- 
April. 

a  mate,  the  happy  pair 
ere  the  conformation  of 


the  countrv  atVonis  them  such  retirement,  among  the  tussocks  of 
which  tliev  love  to  bask  in  the  soft  spring  sunshine.  Where  the 
land  is  hii^her,  and  is  broken  into  knolls  and  gulleys,  you  will 
tind  them  at  this  season  on  the  grassy  banks  beside  some  shel- 
t  red  hedgerow,  or  along  the  green  and  shrubby  margin  of  some 
sequestered  retreat,  but  never  in  thick  woodlands,  and  rarely  in 
open  tield". 

Most  birds,  so  soon  as  they  ha\e  paired,  proceed  at  once  to  the 
iluties  of  nidification  and  the  rearing  of  tht..  young;  it  seems  to 
me,  however,  that  the  quail  spends  some  time  in  pairs  before 
proceeding  to  this  task  ;  for  I  have  frequently  seen  them  paired 
so  early  as  the  twentieth  of  February  ;  yet  1  have  never  found 
the  hen  sitting,  or  a  nest  with  eggs  in  it,  during  spring  snipe- 
shooting,  though  I  have  often  flushed  the  paired  birds  on  the 
same  ground  with  the  long-billed  emigrants. 

1  have  never,  indeed,  seen  a  quail's  nest  earlier  than  the 
middle  of  May,  and  have  often  found  them  sitting  so  late  as  the 
end  of  July. 

Their  nest  is  inartificial,  made  of  grasses,  and  situate,  for  the 
most  part,  under  the  shelter  of  a  stump  or  tussock  in  some  wild 
meadow,  or  near  the  bushy  margin  of  some  clover-field  or 
orchard.  The  hen  lays  from  ten  to  twoand-twenty  eggs,  and  is 
relieved  at  times,  in  hatching  them,  by  the  male  bird,  who  con- 
stantly keeps  guard  around  her,  now  sitting  on  the  bough  of  the 
nearest  tree,  now  perched  on  the  top  rail  of  a  snake  fence,  making 
the  woods  and  hills  resound  with  his  loud  and  cheery  whistle. 

The  perirJ  of  the  quail's  incubation  I  do  not  know  correctly  ; 
the  young  birds  run  the  moment  they  burst  from  the  egg,  and  it 
is  not  uncommon  to  see  them  tripping  about  with  pieces  of  the 
shell  adhering  to  their  backs. 

The  first  brood  hatched  and  fairly  on  foot,  the  hen  proceeds 
at  once  to  the  preparation  of  a  second  nest;  and  committing  the 
care  of  the  early  younglings  to  her  mate,  or  rather  dividing  with 
him  the  duties  of  rearing  the  first  and  hatching  the  second  brood, 
she  devotes  herself  incessantly  to  her  maternal  duties. 

.So  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  the  quail  almost  invariably  raises  a 
second,  and  sometimes,  I  believe,  a  third  brood,  in  a  single  season. 
Hence,  if  unmolested,  they  increase  with  extraordinary  rapidity 


<^f> 


THE  .fUAfl.. 


wlieii  tlif  «oa>i()ns  are  pi'0|)itious ;  aiul  lu'iice  voi;  frcqu«;iitly  fini: 
young  birds,  in  two  or  throe  staj^es  of  maturity  in  ;i  single 
bevy,  and  under  tlie  protection  ot  a  single  brace  of  parents. 

The  quail  (•aiiiiot  endure  severe  cold  weather,  hence  he  is 
never  found  far  to  the  eastwani  of  l?(>stpn;  I  have  never  heard  of 
liis  being  found  at  all  in  the  states  of  Maine  and  New  Ilain))- 
shire  and  can  assert  of  my  own  knowledge  that,  in  the  former 
state,  lie  iloes  not  exist,  if  elsewhere,  east  of  the  liver  Kenne 
heck.  In  Lower  Canada  lie  is  unknown;  and  it  is  only  witiiin  a 
few  years  that  he  has  become  abundant,  and  a  continu.il  resident 
in  the  upper  provinces,  along  the  northern  shores  of  the  Niagara 
and  of  Lake  Erie. 

1  cannot,  however,  satisfy  myself  entirely  that  this  is  the 
etTect  of  climate,  as  it  may  be  the  consequence  of  cultivation,  on 
theskirtsof  »vhich  only  is  the  quail  found — with  one  exception, 
the  great  prairies  of  tiie  west,  which — whether  natural  tneadows, 
or,  as  some  persons  bi'lieve,  the  remnants  of  aboriginal  civiliza- 
tion— present  to  the  quail  all  the  comforts  which  he  desires  t'rom 
cultivation  and  the  vicinity  of  man's  dwellings — grass-seeds,  I 
mean,  and  open  sunshine. 

In  the  forest  the  quail  is  never  found,  unless  when  that  forest 
is  girded  about  with  settlements,  and  interspersed  with  partial 
clearness  and  buckwheat  or  corn  fields,  when  he  will  ramble 
away  during  the  heat  of  summer  noontide  into  the  cool,  green 
retreats  of  mountain  woodlands. 

I  have  never  seen,  nor  have  I  heard  of  a  nest  placed  in  a 
wood;  and,  were  it  not  for  the  prairies,  which  I  suppose  to  have 
been  their  haunt  and  feeding  ground  for  ages,  I  should  be  at  a 
loss  to  conceive  wheie  either  the  quail  or  the  woodcock  existed, 
when  all  the  sea-board  of  America,  and  for  leagues  upon  leagues 
inward,  the  whole  face  of  the  country  was  covered  with  primeval 
wilderness,  since  neither  of  the  birds,  as  I  have  before  stated,  are 
ever  found  in  the  wild  forest,  and  both  make  their  appearance 
almost  iminediately  when  sunshine  is  let  into  those  deep  soli- 
tudes by  the  settler's  axe,  and  the  brown  stubble  has  succeeded  to 
the  leaf-carpet  of  the  dim  and  steamy  wilderness. 

But  a  few  years  ago,  the  woodcock  was  found  in  Maine,  only 
in  the  vicinity  of  Portland  and  the  oldest  settlements;  he  is  now 


'  illed  a1 
region,  ( 
suiely  ei 
is,  howe 
there  an 
of  that  \ 
I  have 
superior 
beautit"u 

I'ive 
and  foul 
which  h 
not  be  s 
plenty  ii 
cnces  tl 
ahonndt 
[lolis,  in 
the  reig 
than  in 

It  m 
namely, 
of  largt 
most  st: 
found  i 
assume( 
to  the  n 

Hut 
sportsm 
where  ii 
this  bin 

I  h£ 
increast 
imfavor 
tion.  I 
deep,  ai 
charity 
when  s 
thaw,  s( 


THE  ^UAIL. 


57 


nee  yoi;  frequ'jiitly  find 
f  maturity  in  a  single 
e  brace  of  parents 
;l  wenlher,  luiiee  lie  is 
1 ;  I  liave  never  heard  of 
it.iiiie  and  New  Hamp- 
!t;e  tliat,  in  the  former 
ist  of  the  liver  Kenne- 
;  and  it  is  only  witliin  a 
ind  a  continual  resident 
■n  shores  of  the  Niajjara 

iitirelv  that  this  is  the 
iience  of  cultivation,  on 
d — with  one  exception, 
lether  natural  meadows, 
;s  of  ahoriijinal  civiliza- 
s  which  he  desires  from 
wellings — grass-seeds,  I 

unless  when  that  forest 
nterspersed  with  partial 
,  when  he  will  ramble 
de  into  the  cool,  green 

d  of  a  nest  placed  in  a 
vhich  I  suppose  to  have 
■  ages,  I  should  be  at  a 
r  the  woodcock  existed, 
or  leagues  upon  leagues 
s  covered  with  primeval 
I  have  before  stated,  are 

make   their  appearance 
;t  into   those  deep  soli- 
stubble  has  succeeded  to 
derness. 
IS  found  in  Maine,  only 

settlements;  he  is  now 


'  illed  abundantly  in  the  intervales,  as  they  are  called  in  thai 
region,  on  the  Kenneheek,  and  is  extending  himself  slowly  but 
suiely  eastward,  as  the  forest  recedes  before  the  lumberman  He 
is,  however,  a  rare  bird  on  the  waters  of  the  Penobscot,  though 
there  are  ranges  of  swampy  coverts,  miles  and  miles  in  length, 
of  that  very  soil  and  nature  \'  hieh  he  loves  the  best;  and  though 
I  have  never  seen  lying  or  feeding  groimds  in  New  Jersey 
superior  to  the  oak-islands,  abo.e  Indian  Oldtown,  upon  the 
beautiful  river   I   have  mentioned. 

l'"ive  years  have  passed,  however,  since  I  shot  in  those  regions, 
and  t'ound  it  hard  work  to  bag  a  couple  or  two  of  cock  on  ground 
which  here  would  have  yielded  forty  or  fifty  birds;  and  I  should 
not  be  surprised  to  learn  that,  in  the  interim,  they  have  become 
plentv  in  those  very  woods.  That  it  is  not  cliinate  which  influ- 
ences the  woodcock,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  they  have 
abounded  for  many  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Windsor  and  Anna- 
(lolis,  in  New  I'runswick,  where  the  climate  is  much  colder;  but 
the  reign  of  cultivation  more  widely  extended,  because  far  older, 
than  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Maine. 

It  may  then,  in  some  measure,  be  attributed  to  the  same  cause, 
namely,  the  prevalence  of  unbroken  wilderness,  and  the  absence 
of  large  grain  lields,  that  the  tiuail  is  not  (bund  in  our  eastern- 
most states;  and  il'  it  he  true,  a--  I.athain  states,  that  the  ([uail  is 
found  in  New  IJrunswick  and  Nova  Scotia,  this  might  be 
assumed,  and  not  climate,  as  the  establisheil  cause  of  his  aversion 
to  the  northeastern  country. 

]5ut  I  believe  it  is  not  true;  for,  of  many  good  and  staunch 
sportsmen,  with  whom  I  am  acquainted  in  St.  John,  and  else- 
where in  the  British  Provinces,  I  have  found  none  who  have  shot 
this  bird  therein. 

I  have  said  above,  that  the  quail,  in  propitious  seasons, 
increases  with  extraordinary  rapiditv;  I  will  now  adi',  that  in 
unfavorable  years,  he  ot'ten  comes  to  the  very  verge  of  extinc- 
tion. I-ong,  severe  snows,  when  the  country  is  buried  inany  feet 
deep,  and  he  can  procure  no  sustenance,  save  from  the  precarious 
charity  of  man,  famishes  him  outright — heavy  drifts,  especially 
when    succeeded    by   a   partial    thaw,   and  a   frost    following   the 

thaw,  stifle  him  in  whole  bevies,  encased  in  icy  prison-houses. 
6 


58 


IIIE  :>l'A!f. 


ft 


It  is  tlu'  peculiar  liabit  of  this  bird  to  lie  Ktill,  so  .mtteil  in 
conix'iitric  luiildlos,  as  they  are  teilmieally  eallecl,  eomjiosed  ol 
lliL"  whole  hevv,  seated  like  the  radii  of  a  eircle,  v  ith  their  tail- 
inward,  so  long  as  snow,  sleut  or  rain  continues  \o  fall.  So 
soon  as  it  clears  otV,  ami  the  sun  shines  out,  with  a  siniiiltaneous 
etlbrt,  probably  at  a  preconcerte<l  signal,  they  all  sp'ing  up  at 
once,  with  an  impetus  and  rush  so  powerful  as  carries  them  clear 
through  a  snowdrift  many  feet  in  depth;  unless  it  be  skimmed 
over  by  a  fro/en  crust,  which  is  not  to  be  jienetrated  by  tluir 
utmost  efforts.  In  this  latter  case,  when  the  storm  has  been 
general  over  a  large  extent  of  country,  the  ipiails  arc  not  untVe- 
ipiently  reduced  iso  nearly  to  extinction,  that  but  a  bevy  or  two 
will  be  seen  for  years  on  ground  where  previously  they  had  been 
found  in  abundance;  and  at  such  time,  if  they  be  not  spared  ami 
cherished,  as  they  will  be  by  all  true  sportsmen,  they  may  be 
destroyed  entirely  throiighout  a  whole  region. 

This  was  the  case  especially  through  all  this  section  of  the 
country,  in  the  tremendous  winter  of  1835-6,  when  these  birds, 
which  had  been  previously  very  abundant,  were  almost  annihil- 
ated, and  would  have  been  so,  doutless,  but  for  the  anxiety  which 
was  felt  generally,  and  the  energetic  means  which  were  taken  to 
preserve  them. 

Another  peril,  which,  at  times,  decimates  the  breed  for  a  season, 
is  a  sudden  and  violent  land-tlood,  in  June  and  July,  which 
drowns  the  young  'irds,  or  a  continuance  of  cold,  showery 
weather  in  those  and  the  preceding  months,  which  addles  the 
eggs  and  destroys  the  early  bevy.  This  is,  however,  but  a  partial 
evil,  as  the  quail  rears  a  second  brood,  and,  as  I  have  before 
observed,  sometimes  a  third;  so  that  in  this  case  the  number  of 
birds  for  the  season  is  diminished  without  the  the  tribe  being 
endangered. 

The  open  winters  which  have  prevailed  latterly  have  been 
exceedingly  favorable  to  the  increase  of  this  beautiful  and  prolific 
little  bird.  Never,  perhaps,  have  they  been  more  abundant  than 
they  were  last  autumn ;  and  though  there  has  been  more  than  an 
average  of  snow  thus  far  during  the  present  winter,  it  has  not 
been   heavily  drifted   tor  the  most  part;  it  has  not   laid  on  the 


ground  it 
crusted  ot 

The  sii 
■■eason  is  1 
in  leeding 
we  have  c 

In  my 
of  bound) 
laws  for  t 
they  may 
inuch-dis| 
relation  t( 
not,  I  bel 
inn  ;  ami, 
ijiiail  shoi 
nceticul  s 
limit  of  II 

TllH   (.'K 


TIIK  ir 
in  s( 
and  spor 
altogethe 
Notw 
the  fact  1 
some  wei 
from  my 
of  others 
subject  a 
bird  is  s 
and,  seco 


THE  :>irAi/.. 


59 


to  lio  still,  s(|  lalteil  in 
ll_V  imUciI,  comjiosed  ol 

circk',  V  itli  tlifir  tail- 
continues  \o  fall.  So 
lit,  willi  a  siniiiltani'oiis 
,  tilt'}'  all  >p'  ing  ii|)  at 
fill  as  carries  tlicm  clear 

unless  it  l)e  skinmu'd 
bo  pciu'tratt'il  In  tluir 
en  the  storm  has  been 
e  i|uails  arc  not  untVe- 
that  but  a  bevy  or  Iwd 
-eviously  they  hail  been 
they  be  not  spared  and 
)ortsnien,  they  may  be 
jion. 

all  this  section  of  the 
3i;-6,  when  these  birds, 
t,  were  almost  annihil- 
jt  for  the  anxiety  which 
ms  which  were  taken  to 

;s  the  breed  for  a  season, 
June  and  July,  which 
ance  of  cold,  showery 
inths,  which  addles  the 
s,  howe%'er,  but  a  partial 
,  and,  as  I  have  before 
his  case  the  number  of 
Dut  the  the  tribe  being 

iled  latterly  have  been 
his  beautiful  and  prolific 
;en  more  abundant  than 
;  has  been  more  than  an 
2sent  winter,  it  has  not 
it  lias  not   laid  on  the 


ground  many  connecutivo  days,  ami   it  has   not,   hitherto,  been 
crusted  once. 

The  sun  is  now  beginning  to  gain  considerable  power ;  tiie 
-eason  is  rapidly  atlvaiuiug  toward  spring,  and,  with  a  little  care 
in  leeding  and  preserving  the  birds  from  poachers  and  trappers, 
we  have  every  prospect  of  yet  a  larger  supply  next  autumn. 

In  my  next  paper — for  I  feel  that  I  am  running  somewhat  out 
of  bounds — I  shall  point  out  wlure,  in  my  opinion,  the  present 
laws  for  their  protection  are  inoperative  and  inadetiuate,  and  how 
they  may  be  simplified  and  amended:  I  shall  touch  ujion  that 
much-disputed  ])oint — their  domestic  and  internal  migrations,  in 
relation  to  which  1  have  collected  some  curious  tacts,  which  are 
not,  1  believe,  generally  known,  and  which  may  prove  interest- 
ing; and,  lastly,  I  shall  dwell  at  length  on  the  best  nuthod  of 
i|iiail  shooting,  with  the  results  ol'  some  days'  s|)ort,  t'loiii  Con- 
necticut so  tar  southward  as  Maryland,  which  is  the  southernmost 
limit  of  my  sporting  cvperience  in  tin-  I'liited  States. 

'I'liK  I'KPAK--,  J:iniiiMy,  iS|i,, 


IV, 


T//  /<:    Q  UA  J  L. 

Till'"  migratory  habit  of  the  American  (piail  has  always  been 
in  some  degree  a  disputed  point,  among  both  natjialists 
and  sportsmen,  and  I  know  many  of  the  latter  who  deny  it 
altogether. 

Notwithstandii'g  this,  I  am  myf.elf  thoroughly  convinced  of 
the  fact  that  the  bird  is,  to  a  certain  degree,  migratory  during 
some  weeks  of  the  autumn  ;  and  I  think  I  can  establish  this  fact 
from  my  own  personal  observation,  as  well  as  from  the  statements 
of  others  worthy  of  high  credit.  The  reason  of  the  doubt  on  this 
subject  arises  tVoiii  two  causes;  first,  that  the  migration  of  this 
bird  is  short,  irregular,  continuous  and,  apparently,  causeless; 
and,  secondly,  that  it  is  not  nearly  so  distinctly  marked  in  this 


HT- 


60 


THE   :>U.\tf.. 


dif  trici  of  the  country  ii>^  it   is  in   tlif  woslern  states,   wlnTc  tlv 
bin!  is  intlniti'Iv  niiiti'  abuiulant  tlian  in  tlu'si'  rcj^innB. 

WliiMi  I  slate  that  the  migration  in  irregular  and  iohIiiihohs,  I 
mean  to  sav  that  tlio  l)iril,  at  no  season,  iiihnlv  leaves  anv  -oction 
ol'  the  eouiilrv  ;  hut  th't  there  is  a  eotislant  movement  ot  sueees- 
sive  bevies  in  the  same  direction,  wliieli  is  invariablv  eastward; 
anil  1  am  peifectlv  satislieil  that  this  is  more  or  Uss  the  ease 
every  wliere,  ami  tliat  it  is  more  eoTispieuousiv'  so  the  t'nrllier  wesi 
we  travel. 

Audubon,  than  whom  no  better  authority  exists,  for  he  write- 
from  personal  observation,  states  that  on  the  banks  of  the  westi'rii 
rivers,  he  mentions,  I  think,  particularly  the  eonlluences  of  the 
Ohio,  these  beautiful  little  birds  may  be  sei'u  re^jnlarly  in  the 
,ilumn,  running;  eastward  in  ^reat  tloeks,  not  sinj;le  bevies,  ami 
crossiny;  the  larjje  slreuinR  on  the  wiiij;,  always  in  the  same 
direction.  During  a  discussion  which  took  place  in  the  pages  ol 
the  New  York  "Turf  Register,"  originating  between  that  e.\(el 
lent  writer  and  most  estimable  man,  Wm.  I'.  1  lawes,  and  an 
anonymous  author  using  the  signature  "H.,"of  Marietta,  and 
subsequently  enlisting,  on  one  side  or  the  other,  half  the  sporting 
writers  of  the  country,  some  new  and  striking  authorities  were 
elicited  on  this  fact;  these  I  shall  here  present  to  my  reader,  and, 
in  corroboration  of  these,  apply  some  recent  observations  of  my 
own,  which  cannot,  I  think,  but  prove  conclusive. 

The  first  O'  these  authorities  is  a  very  distinguished  \vi  iter  on 
turf  affairs,  under  the  signature  of  "Alpha,"  whose  testimony  i^ 
the  more  valuable  on  this  |>oint,  that  he  is  in  some  measure  an 
unwilling  witness. 

Qiioting  from  an  article  of  mine,  he  says;  "'The  quail  is 
known  to  be  a  bird  of  passage.'  Ours  is  not  so  :;)'>in-tilly  known 
to  be;  at  least  /  doubt  it  very  much.  They  seem  to  me,  in  the 
fall,  to  be  taken  with  a  sort  of  crazy  rambling  tit,  which  lasts  for 
so  slioi '  a  time  as  not  to  allow  of  a  very  distant  emigration.  Sonu- 
people  say  they  always  fly  ea.st." 

The  writer  then  proceeds  to  speak  of  the  large  flocks  in  which 
the  quail  is  said  to  travel  in  the  autumn,  declaring  that  he  has 
heard  of  the  fact,  but  never  seen  or  believed  it. 

The  testimony  of  Alpha,  therefore,  proves  all  that  is  asserted. 


^i^i»- 


////•:    if.Mi. 


(M 


sttTii  states,  wln-ri'  ll>' 

\\VhV  n'gi'MlH. 

c^'tilur  anil  kih/iiiiiohs,  I 
//n/l'  loaves  iinv  -action 
lit  movi'iiu'iit  ot  sui'i't's- 
is  iiiv;iiial)lv  castwaril ; 
more  or  Uss  the  I'asi' 
nislv  SI)  the  t'mllu'r  west 

iiity  exists,  for  lie  write- 
the  hanks  of  the  western 

the  eonlluencfs  of  the 
e  seen  rennlarlv  in  the 
i,  not  single  hevies,  ami 
;;,  always  in  the  same 
r)k  place  in  tiie  pages  oi 
ling  between  that  exei'l 
kVm.   I'.   1  lawes,   and  an 

"11.,"  of   Marietta,  and 

■  other,  half  the  sporting 
triking  authorities  were 
esent  to  my  reader,  and, 
izent  observations  of  my 
inelusive. 

■  distinguislied  wi  itei'  on 
iha,"  whose  testimony  i- 

is  in  some  measnre  an 

le  says:  "  'The  quail  is 
not  so  i;enry<illy  known 
riiey  seem  to  me,  in  the 
d)ling  fit,  which  lasts  for 
istant  emigration.    Some 

the  large  flocks  in  which 
1,  declaring  that  he  has 
;ved  it. 
roves  all  that  is  asserted. 


naniily,  that  tlieie/AU  general  migrator\  nui\  enniil,  wliieh  In- 
i;raphically  tle^erilies  as  "i/v/r  miil  itinil'liiig"  in  the  earlv 
.uitumn,  and  that  it  is  thought  to  lie  eastwanl.  This  paragraph 
brought  out  anoth.  r  witness,  the  celebrated  •■  N."  of  .\rkansas, 
ihan  whom  there  exist*  no  person  bi'tter  ijualitied  to  speak  to  any 
lact  ctincerning  tield-sports  in  .\meriea. 

lie  teslities  distinclly,  that  he  litis  sirn,  with  his  own  eyes, 
xast  congregated  tlocks  of  (juail ;  ;  nd  knows,  of  his  own  knowl- 
idge,  that  in  his  own  state,  and  throughout  the  western  stales, 
there  is  an  annual  eastward  aulumnal  Miigration. 

So  clear  and  |>ositive  is  he  on  this  subject,  that  the  writer 
liDiu  whom  1  ([uoted  first,  ailmilted  in  a  subseipuiit  paper: 
" -Alpha  '  must  give'  up  to'N.,'of  Arkansas.  I  know  •  N.'  of 
oKI,  and  although  he  is  no  very  great  sportsman  in  the  /;///»■  bird 
Ime,  he  knows  what  he  sees;  and  like  the  young  Persian,  'when 
a  bov  he  learned  to  shoot,  ride  a  horse,  and  speak  the  truth.'  " 

The  admissions  of  these  western  writers,  who  have  every 
opportunilv,  which  we  lack,  ot'  observing  the  manners  and  dispo- 
sition of  Ibis  bird,  when  condiined  with  the  paramount  authority 
of  Ml.  Audubon,  settle  the  question,  as  it  appears  to  me,  so  far, 
at  least,  as  the  western  country  is  concerned. 

Now,  as  it  might  be  replied  to  tliis  that  the  (juail  is  migratory 
in  the  west,  but  stationary  here,  I  will  adiluce  two  circumstances 
which  have  fallen  under  my  own  immediate  observation,  and 
which  I  think  indisputably  show  that  the  migratory  character  of 
tiie  birtl  is  unchanged  in  this  region  of  the  coimtry. 

It  will  be  remembered  by  all  sportsmen  that  the  winter  of 
1H35-36  was  one  of  extreme  and  unusual  severity;  that  the 
ground  was  covered  with  snow  to  the  depth  of  several  feet,  tVom 
the  earlv  part  of  January  until  the  middle  of  April;  and  that 
much  apprehension  was  entertained  that  the  ipiail  would  be 
entirely  destroyed  throughout  this  section  of  country.  Precau- 
tions were  taken  very  generally  to  guard  against  this  misiortune; 
live  iiuail  were  sought  iluring  the  winter  by  many  gentlemen, 
and  carefully  preserved  until  the  spring;  and  some  were  even 
imported  from  South  Carolina. 

Among  others  engaged  in  this  work  of  solucrine  love,  I  bought 
myself,  and  kept  in  New  York,  a  hundred  brace  of  these  birds; 


^mr— 


hni 


fts 


T//H   :>LA//. 


and  on  llu-  U'lilli  ol  April  liiini'il  '.lii'ni  mil  In  tlu-  vak' ol  W.ii 
wick,  my  lavtirlte  xlioiilinK  ^lonnd  at  tliiit  time,  on  tUv  duiw  ~  ni 
I wi>  ililliicnl  iVii'iul-,  by  uliimi  1  was  mtv  lonlUlcnt  llu'v  wnnKI 
he  prt'Kcrvi'd. 

It  HO  liappi-nt'd  lliat  I  spent  tlio  yiiatcr  part  of  that  smnmii, 
hum  till-  mi(!dlc  ol'  |utu-  imtii  tlic  t-nd  ol'  AukukI,  in  llic  iinmt' 
iliatc  niiKld)()rliood  ol'  tlii'  place  wlu-ri'  tlic  biriln  were  turned  onl, 
and  rcelinf{  a  ^ood  deal  of  inleretst  in  the  mutter,  watched  them 
rennlarlv  din-ini;  Uh'  whole  hn'i-dinjj  season. 

I'lie  conseipience  was,  that  I  knew  llie  exinlence  and  loialils 
ol"  above  twenty  nestH,  no  one  of  whicti  contained  less  than  a 
do/cTi  ey^s.  all  of  which  wcie  hatched  safely,  and  f^i>l  oil  early, 
hy  the  oUI  hirils,  There  must  have  been,  of  course,  many  olhei 
nexts  which  were  not  discovered  at  all;  and  many  of  those  birds 
whose  thst  broods  I  saw,  must  uiupieslioiuibly  have  raised  secoinl 
l)evies. 

Naturally  enoujjh,  I  was  deliKhteil  with  the  result  of  my 
cxpiriment,  and  auyiwed  ^reat  thinjjs  coni'eniiii^;  the  autumn 
^hootin^'  of  that  year.  I  was  on  the  jjroimii  at  daylight  on  the 
lirsi  day  of  the  season,  with  a  parly  of  frieiuls,  whom  I  hail 
seilueeii  into  aceompanvini;  me  by  the  promise  of  admirabK- 
sport;  we  hail  undeniable  do>;s  with  us,  in  considerable  numbeis; 
we  spent  ten  dayn  in  thoroughly  rummajjing  the  country;  and, 
without  vanity,  1  believe  I  may  s.iy  that  we  knew  sulliciently 
well   wliat   we  were  about,  not  to  leave  many  birds  behind  us. 

The  result  was  tliat  we  had  no  sport  whatever — two  or  three 
bevies  were  all  that  we  found  over  a  wide  tract  of  country;  and 
from  that  day  to  tliis,  the  race  of  quail  has  run  so  nearly  extinct 
in  llial  rej^ion,  that  it  is  not  worth  looking  for  them. 

The  explanation  of  this  fact  is,  I  think,  easy  enou,L;h.  The 
native  breed  of  quail  were,  as  we  had  expected,  nearly  exter- 
minated; those  which  were  turned  out,  emigrated  to  a  l)ird. 

It  is  proper  that  I  should  add,  that  the  Warwick  sluioting 
grounds  were  at  that  time  shot  over  by  no  sportsman  but  myself; 
and  that  the  people  of  the  place  hardly  knew  what  it  wa--  to  shoot 
living.  liirds  of  prey  were  scarce,  and  could  hardly,  however 
lilentifnl,  have  destroyed  t/ir  -i/iolr  Inoods  of  a  hundred  brace  ol 
old  birds. 


»Al 


I  UK   >r  Ml 


^•» 


out  ill  tilt'  vale  (il  W.ii 
lit  tliiii-,  oil  Ihf  rarni'^  m 
ry  contUlfiit  llirv   wuiiM 

trr  |i.irt  ol  that  suiimui , 
ot'  Au^^uht,  in  tlic  iiniiu' 
Ih'  birtlh  wcio  turiifil  out 
11'  iimttur,  watched  tlicm 
son. 

Ill'  c'xihifiict'  ami  loialiis 
Il  contained  less  than  a 
snl'i'lv,  iiTuI  ),;()t  oil  lailv, 
II,  ol  I'oiifsi',  many  olhii 
anil  many  ol'  lliosc  bird-, 
iiiilbly  liavi'  lai^i'il  m'coihI 

with  llu'  n."-iilt  of  my 
lonci'i  niii^;  the  autumn 
rouiul  nt  daylighl  on  the 
ol'  IViendK,  whom  I  had 
le  pidinise  of  adinirahli' 
in  eoiisiderahle  numl)ri>; 
laninn  the  country;  and, 
hat  we  knew  sulliciently 
many  birds  beiiiiui  uh. 
whatever — two  or  three 
ide  tract  of  country  ;  and 
lias  run  so  nearly  exliiui 
n^  t'or  them. 

ink,  ea^y  enoui;li.  The 
I  exiHcted,  nearly  exter- 
,  eniiL^rated  to  a  bird, 
it  the  Warwick  shootinu; 
no  sportsman  but  my  sell': 
knew  what  it  wa--  to  shoot 
d  could  hardlv,  however 
its  of  a  limulrod  brace  ol 


llie    set  Olid    ...uvdiile    which    1    have   to   iclale,    i-   wl    moie 
.  iinrlimive. 

The  HUiiimei   ami  auliimii  ol'   |S^4.  f  pa-scd  al   Ihe  pleasant 
vilhi'jeor  Ihislol,  oil   Ihi'   western   hank  of   the    Delaware;    and, 

«ilh  my  iriend  Mr     IS ,  ain\>  .lU'ul  and  Ihorou-h  sportsman, 

had  a  nood  ili  al  ol  -.hooliiij;  at  ipiail,  woodcock  and  i;ra«s  plover 
m  Iheir  season-.  Having;  liule  else  to  do,  1  was  out  shoolin^r 
cerlaiiilv  ihrei'  limeH  a  week,  aii.l  loi  some  day*  previous  to  the 
,(iiiiiii>  nccmeiit  ol'  the  quail  -c.imm,  had  beaten  all  the  country 
lor  -eveiul  miles  up  ami  down  the  river  and  westward,  lor 
woodcock. 

Indoiiin  this,  I  became  satisfied  that  there  were  no  k\\\a\\,  to 
speak  ol,  Ml  the  vicinity;  not,  al  Ihe  ulmo«t,  above  two  or  three 
bevies ;  and  our  sport,  after  the  close  lime  expired,  corroborahd 
inv  opinion  in  this  respect. 

Shorllv  afterward,  when  the  cold  weather  -et  in,  mil  an 
evening  passed,  but  bevy  after  bevy  came,  about  dii.k,  into  the 
Hardens  and  orchards  of  the  village,  and  into  all  the  surroumlliiK 
coppices,  and    mi^ht  be   heard  calling  in  every  direction  until 

nightfall. 

Morning  after  mornim;,  as  soon  as  it  was  liijht  enou^'h  lo 
>lioot,  I  was  a-foot,  expecting  lo  get  sjiort;  but  not  in  a  single 
instance  did  I  find  any  birds,  though  I  -ul)se(|ucntly  learned  that 
a  few,  who  knew  their  lia'<its  in  that  district,  crossing  the  Dela- 
ware to  the  jersey  shore,  had  good  shooting  on  these  very  birds, 
which,  it  s.oins,  invariably  crossed  the  river,  there  scarcelj  a 
mile  in  width,  as  soon  as  the  morni-i.'  twilight  was  growing  gray. 

This  migration  is  perfectly  well  known  to  all  the  sportsmen 
in  that  di-trict;  it  takes  pkice  rei^ularlv  every  autumn  ;  commenc- 
ing with  the  first  sharp  frost,  ami  continuing  from  three  to  six 
weeks;  it  is  invariably  from  the  west  eastward;  and  the  country- 
men will  tell  you  that  the  birds  are  making  their  wav  to  the 
I'iiies,  on  the  fersey  shore,  which  I  ilo  not  believe.  Lastly,  I 
could  not  learn  that  any  counter- migration,  from  the  east  west- 
waril,  has  e\  er  been  oh-erved,  though  several  intelligent  persons, 
whom  I  ipiestioned,  informed  me  that  they  had  looked  for  such 
a  thing  annually,  but  in  vain. 

The  birds,  I  should  add,  are  constantly  seen  Hying  across  the 


64 


THE  .^rA/L 


liver  l)v  onrlv  laborers  and  fislieniieii ;  ami  occasio.ailj',  il"  llio 
wind  should  be  adverse,  the  weaklings  of  the  bevy  lall  into  tiie 
broad  stream  and  perish. 

Tliese  laets,  in  my  opinion,  thoroughly  establish  the  fact  that 
tlie  quail  dop.i  migrate,  though  of  all  migrations  it  appears  to  be 
the  most  strange  and  mysterious. 

Contrary  to  all  expectation,  at  the  comineneeinent  of  the  cold 
season  tiie  quail  runs— (or  unless  in  crossing  large  strcains,  oi 
sheets  of  water,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  journey  is  made  on  foot— 
from  the  warmer  west  to  the  colder  east. 

I'nod  can  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  change  of  locality, 
since  that  abounds  most  where  the  climate  is  mildest. 

Appropriateness  of  breeding-ground  is  not  involved  in  the 
movement,  for  it  takes  place  at  the  very  opposite  season  of  the 
year. 

Lastly,  it  cannot  be  ascertained  whither  the  passengers  go, 
or  where  their  wanderings  terminate. 

'I'he  conseciuence  of  this  annual  eastern  migration  ought  to 
be,  at  least,  a  temporary  accumulation  of  bevies  in  vast  numbers 
to  the  eastward;  since,  as  I  have  stated  in  my  last  paper,  there 
is  an  eastern  limit,  and  that  not  very  distant,  to  the  existence  ot 
the  bird  at  all. 

No  such  accumulation  is  known,  however,  or  rather  no  such 
accumulation  exists. 

It  is  almost  certain,  therefore,  that  at'ter  what  "  Alpha"  calls 
its  "crazy  rambling  lit,"  the  quailagain  returns  westward,  though 
to  say  the  least,  it  is  strange  in  the  extreme,  that  constantly  seen, 
as  it  is  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  on  its  eastern  movement,  il 
has  never  beer,  heard  or  seen  when  working  its  way  backward. 

Of  one  thing  only  we  are  certain,  that  no  instinct  of  the 
humblest  of  God's  creatures  but  has  its  meaning  and  its  use,  and 
I  know  nothing  which  should  lead  us  so  much  to  doubt  our  own 
boasted  intellect  and  superiority,  as  the  conviction  which  must 
force  itself  upon  us  the  more  strenuously  as  we  examine  the 
more  deeply,  how  little  we  can  comprehend  of  the  wonderful 
nature  and  wisely  constituted  habits  of  what  we  term  the  inferior 
animals. 

ICvery  year,  it  is  true,  brings  something  to  our  little  stock  of 


knowled^ 

country  ). 

they  obsi 

beasts,  fis 

public,  it 

and  in  he 

I  will 

men,  whi 

any  obse 

tant— for 

ceriiing 

sorts  of 

o likes  ot 

the  Timi 

and  I  do 

of  the  cc 

as  the   v\ 

pairing, 

be  gaine 

ing,  and 

history. 

I  will 

this    bee 

desire  tc 

ever  see 

The  - 

from  th( 

privilegi 

annihila 

incubati 

is  conse 

certain  i 

The 

all  thos( 

in  the  i 

Misappi 

in  the  n 

the  ollt 


mi  occiisio.-Hll}-,  if  llic 
tlu'  bevy   lull   into  tiic 

'  Chtal)li!.li  tlie  lad  tliat 
ations  it  appears  to  bv 

iiieiiceineiit  of  tlie  cold 
!sing  large  streams,  or 
irncy  is  made  on  tool — 

he  cliange  of  locality, 
;  is  mildest. 

is  not  involved  in  tiic 
opposite  season  ol'  the 

ler   the   passengers  go, 

rn  migration  ought  to 
bevies  in  vast  nnmbers 
n  my  last  paper,  there 
nt,  to  tiie  existence  ot 

;ver,  or  rather  no  such 

cr  what  "  Alpha"  calls 
turns  westward,  though 
le,  that  constantly  seen, 
eastern  movement,  il 
ig  its  way  backward, 
lat  no  instinct  of  tlie 
eaning  and  its  use,  and 
nuch  to  doubt  our  own 
;onviction  which  must 
ly  as  we  examine  tlie 
lend  of  the  wonderful 
lat  we  term  the  inferior 

i  to  om-  little  stock  of 


T//E  .:^UA/I. 


6S 


knowledge,  and  it  sportsmen,  and  gentlemen  residing  in  the 
country  generally,  would  note  down  tlie  time  and  incidents  which 
thev  observe  with  regard  to  nalural  history,  wlietlier  of  birds, 
beasts,  fishes  or  flowers,  and  would  occasionally  give  these  to  the 
luiblic,  it  is  incredible  how  much  information  might  be  collected, 
and  in  how  short  a  time. 

1  will  take,  tlierefore,  this  opportunity  of  reipiesting  gentle- 
nien,  who  take  any  interest  in  fieKl-sporls,  to  communicate  to  me 
any  observations  they  may  make,  however  seemingly  unimpor- 
tant—for from  masses  of  tritles  are  combined  gieai  truths— con- 
cerning the  habits,  and  more  especially  the  inigratwns  of  all 
sorts  of  game,  either  directed  to  my  own  residence  or  to  the 
olVices  of  the  "  Democratic  Review  "  or  the  Now  York  "  Spirit  of 
the  Time-."  I'reeision  of  dates  is  of  the  greatest  importance; 
and  I  doubt  not  from  simultaneous  observations  in  many  parts 
of  the  counlrv,  of  the  first  and  last  appearance  of  various  birds, 
as  the  woodcock  and  English  snipe,  of  the  earliest  and  latest 
pairing,  nesting  and  hatching,  as  of  'piail,  etc.,  that  much  might 
be  gained  of  really  valuable  knowledge  concerning  very  interest- 
ing, and,  comparatively  speaking,  unknown   portions  of  natural 

history. 

I  will  now  proceed  to  the  existing  laws  for  the  preservation  of 
this  beautiful  little  bird;  to  the  alterations  which  I  would 
desire  to  see  eiVectcd  in  them,  and  without  which  I  despair  of 
ever  seeing  game  adeipiately  or  properly  protected. 

The  object  of  the  game  laws  of  this  country,  dilVerenl  entirely 
from  those  of  Kurope,  which  reserve  the  right  of  killing  game  to 
privileged  classes,  is  intended  merely  to  protect  the  animals  from 
annihilation,  by  guarding  them  during  the  periods  of  nidification, 
incubation  and  the  immaturity  of  the  broods— and  their  operation 
is  consequently  limited  to  prohibiting  the  killing  of  game  during 
certain  seasons  of  the  year. 

The  great  ditTiculty  which  has  hitherto  resisted  the  efforts  of 
all  those  who  see  the  utility  of  protecting  game,  has  been  found 
in  the  impossibility  of  getting  farmers  to  enforce  these  laws. 
Misapprehending  their  object,  and  overlooking  their  own  interests 
in  the  matter,  they  have  never  as  yet  been  willing  to  prosecute 
the  olltnders,  or  to  prohibit  their  o-mix  neighbors  from  killing,   in 


66 


THE  SiVMl. 


ii>," 


I*  I 


t-eahoii  .mil  duI  ul  season,  ultliuugli   lliev    liave.  pel  hap.-,  at  limt 
enlbrci'd  tlio  law  against  strangers. 

'I'lio  rea'-oii  of  this  seeming  pervorsitv  hes,  1  believe,  mainl\ 
in  the  inaileciuacy  and  absurdity  of  the  laws  themselves;  which, 
having  been  framed  without  any  proper  understanding  ol'  tin- 
subject,  naturallv  appear  to  the  land-owner  useless,  vexatious  and 
made  for  the  pleasure  of  the  men  of  cities,  as  opposed  to  that  of 
the  countryman  and  farmer. 

I  have  shown,  in  my  articles  on  tlie  woodcock,  that  the  law- 
does  not  protect  that  bird  sulliciently  long,  for  the  broods  are  nol 
half-grown  in  July,  and  that  the  woodcock  is  consecjuently  on  the 
verge  of  absolute  extermination.  I  have  shown  that  Jidy  shoot- 
ing is  obnoxious  to  the  farmer,  becar  e  it  leads  to  the  damage  ami 
dcslruc'ion  of  his  standing  croj-s ;  and  I  will  now  add  that  it  is 
untair  lowarti  him  in  its  ojieration,  because  the  summer  is  his 
busy  season,  and  before  the  autumn,  when  he  has  leisure  to  enjov 
field-sport,  the  woodcock  are  all  destroyed  by  loafers  and  pot- 
hunters. 

1  have  jiroposed,  therefore,  that  the  close  time  during  which 
woodcock  may  not  be  killed,  taken  or  sold,  shall  be  extended 
from  li\e  first  day  of  Kebruary  until  the  first  diiy  of  October. 

This  alteration  will  save  the  immature  bird  from  slaughter 
by  mere  cockneys;  will  act  as  a  guard  to  the  crops  of  the 
farmer;  and,  lastly,  will  give  a  fair  opportunity  of  enjoying 
tield-sports  to  him  who  has  the  best  right  to  enjoy  them,  the 
owner  and  occupant  of  the  land  whereon  the  game  is  bred  and 
reared. 

I  now  come  to  the  (luail;  and,  for  reasons  which  I  shall 
presently  give,  as  well  as  to  produce  simplification  and  uni- 
formity, qualities  which  always  tend  vastly  to  the  practicability 
and  enforcement  of  the  law,  I  would  propose  that  the  close 
time  for  this  bird  shall  be  the  same  as  that  for  the  woodcock — 
from  the  fir.it  of  February,  namely,  until  the  first  day  of  October. 

The  laws  at  present  prohibit  the  killing  of  quail  in  the  sti;  -.'of 
New  York,  except  between  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  October  and 
the  first  day  of  January ;  in  the  state  of  New  Jersey,  except 
between  the  first  day  of  November  and  the  first  day  of  January; 


and  in  Ih 

SeptiMiib 

Now 

October 

January 

commeii 

The 

on  Ihe  II 

except  i 

Let  i 

yrovMi; 

of  four, 

Now 

lion  of 

who  wi 

sport  sm 

his  dog 

named, 

on  the 

The 

the  hal 

pulsori 

not  bu; 

Tht 

the  pet 

can   gt 

grown 

m)l  bu 

purchi 

He 

antici] 

sports 

ship, £ 

to  hill 

mere 

It 

the  fa 

of  pri 


JiUi, 


Iiave.  pel  hap.-,  at  turn' 

lifs,  I  believe,  maiiil\ 
iws  llieinselves;  wliicli, 
r  utulurstaiuliiij;  of  llu 
;r  useless,  vexatious  ami 
:s,  as  opposed   to  thai  ol 

Aooilcock,  that  the  law 
;,  for  the  broods  are  iiol 
k  is  coiise(|ueiitly  on  the 
shown  that  July  shoot- 
leads  to  the  damage  aiul 
will  now  add  that  it  is 
use  the  suiiinier  is  his 
n  he  has  leisure  to  enjov 
ved  by  loafers  and  pot- 
lose  time  ihirinjj  which 
sold,  shall  be  extended 
irst  day  of  October, 
jre  bird  from  slaughter 
d  to  the  crops  of  the 
pportunity  of  enjoying 
ight  to  enjoy  them,  the 
n  the  game  is  bred  and 

reasons  which  I  shall 
simplification  and  uni- 
tly  to  the  practicability 
propose  that  the  close 
hat  for  the  woodcock— 
the  first  day  of  October, 
ig  of  quail  in  the  st;:  oof 
fth  day  of  October  and 
of  New  Jersey,  except 
;he  first  day  of  January; 


T//E    :>UA//. 


67 


and  in  Ihe  -tate  ol    Pennsylvania,  excei.l  between  the   first  day  ot 
September  and  the  lifleenlh  day  of  January. 

Now  the  fust  dav  of  November  a,ul  the  twenty-fifth  day  ol 
CJctober  are  M/>  needlessly /<//<•  in  the  season;  and  the  t.rst  ol 
January  is  needlessly  n,r/y  in  the  season  for  the  ternunation  a,ul 
commencement  of  close  time. 

The  .-reat  majority  of  the  bevies  of  nuail  are  (lu.te  tuU  grown 
c.nlhefi^st  of  October;  except  in  very  backward  seasons,  and 
except  in  the  case  of  a  few  very  late  (hn;/  bevies. 

Let  it  be  observed  that  1  do  not  say  that  all  the  bevies  are  lull 
yrovMi;  but  that  they  are  so  in  the  proportion  of  three  bevies  out 
of  lour,  will  not,  I  think,  be  disputed. 

Now  the  object  of  the  law  is  chietly  to  prevent  the  depreda- 
tion of  pot  hunters,  poachers,  idle  boys  and  village  or  city  loalers 
who  will  kill  -ame  at  all  times  when  they  can  sell  it.  The  good 
sporlsman,  if  he  falls  upon  a  bevy  of  half-grown  birds,  calls  oil 
his  dog  at  once;  because  such  r/>nfrrs,  as  they  are  technically 
named,  afford  him  no  sport  in  the  field  and  are  not  fit  to  serve  up 

on  the  table. 

The  ve- class,  moreover,  from  whom  all  danger  accrues  to 
the  half.grown  bird,  1  mean  the  prowling  market-shooter,  com- 
pulsorily  spares  the  half-grown  quail,  because  the  victualler  will 

'  The  victualler  .-f///  buy  the  half-grown  woodcock,  because  at 
the  period  when  the  law  allows  them  to  be  killed  and  sold,  he 
can  get  none  other,  eight-tentbs  of  all  July  birds  being  halt, 
grown  younglings  of  th.tt  summer;  the  quail,  however,  he  :<•,// 
,„/  buy'half  grown  at  all,  because  he  has  always  the  option  o! 
purchasing  full-grown  birds  at  the  same  period  ot  the  year. 

Hence  I  argue  that  the  quail  runs  no  danger  whatever  trom 
anticipating  the  present  shooting  season  by  one  month;  since  the 
sportsman  will  not  kill  the  young  bevies,  trom  true  sportsman- 
ship, and  the  poacher  will  spare  them  because  they  are  ot  no  use 

to  him  when  killed;    and  because  to  shoot   them   is,  therefore  a 

mere  v\^aste  of  powder  and  shot. 

It  will  on  the  contrary,  be  a  farther  protection  to  them;  since 

the  farmer,  as  the  law  now  stands,  clearly  perceives  the  absurdity 

of  prohibiting  the  killing  of  perfectly  mature  birds  at  the  very 


T'T 


68 


rilE  .-HIM I. 


season  wliicli  is  the  iiuisl  agroealile  lor  out  olitoois  exiiciso  atul 
tlic  most  siiitablc  lor  sporting. 

Still  worse  is  the  prohibition  to  kill  iiiiail  during  the  nionlh  ol 
January— a  prohibition  groundoil  on  a  total  ignorance  of  the 
liabits  o("  the  bird. 

It  ncvrr  pairs,  under  any  circumstances,  earlier  than  the 
beginning  of  February,  and  in  backward  years  not  earlier  than 
March,  and  even  April. 

It  was  only  yesterday  that  I  counted  llfteen  birds  in  bevy 
withni  fifty  yards  of  iny  door. 

I  will  now  cite  a  fact  to  show  the  evil  operation  of  sucl; 
capricious  and  useless  legislation. 

My  notice  was  called,  a  fortnight  since,  \o  a  protest,  by  some 
h.ighly  respectable  larmers  in  the  vicinity  of  Newburg,  exclaim- 
ing agr.insi  all  game  laws  as  oppressive,  vexatious  and  made  so  as 
"  to  restrict  not  only  the  lihntKs,  but  the  Irgal  ria/i/s  of  one  class 
of  socielv.  for  the  exclusive  //iiisiin;  iuu\  not  lor  the  benetU  of 
another" — and  giving  notice  that  they  will  kill  game  on  their  owti 
premise-  at  all  such  times  as  their  convenience,  pleasure  or 
interest  may  dictate. 

This  protest  contains  this  remarkable  passage :  "  I5ut  why 
prohibit  the  killing  of  game  after  the  first  of  January  .?  Clearly 
because  the  weather  is  then  too  uncomfortable  for  the  loafers  to 
leave  their  grog-shops,  and  because  that  is  the  only  season  7v/uii 
the  f  (inner  lius  Insure  tiiid  am  lake  such  recreation" 

Now,  these  gentlemen  are  in  error,  it  is  true;  but  only  as  to 
the  intention,  not  as  to  the  operation  of  the  law.  The  prohibition 
to  kill  game  after  the  first  of  January  is  useless  vexatious,  absurd 
and  oppressive  to  the  fanner;  though  certainly  it  was  not 
inteiided   to  be   so  by   those    who   framed   it. 

The  only  chance  there  is  of  having  game  laws  enlbrcei!  is 
nut  only  in  seeing  that  they  be  just,  but  that  they  s-em  just. 

They  are  nc^r  unjust,  and  appear  to  be  more  unjust  than  they 
are. 

Put  them  in  their  right  form,  and  no  such  question  as  .he 
above  will  be  asked;  or,  if  asked,  it  can  be  answered  at  once  by 
a  scatement  of  the  actual  fact,  that  the  close  time  is  intended  to 
protect  birds  during  the  breeding  season,  and  during  that  only. 


Then 

woodcoc 

first  of  ( 

fifteenth 

animals 

and  no 

reality,  i 

farmer  s 

end,  we 

the   lam 

extermi 

1  ha 

which  I 

The 

passage 

stands. 

ble  pre! 

deep  sii 

Now 

than  til 

Far 

accustc 

severe 

some  s 

frequei 

tion    t' 

wooilc 

Thi 

ularly 

lastly, 

our  la 

cock  ! 

cpianti 

same 

De 

one  oi 

stock 

W 


I  ol-doois  exuciM.'  iiiiti 

uil  during  tlic  mouth  ol 
loliil    ignoiatici.'  of  the 

uices,  cailk'r  tliaii  tliu 
years   not  earlier  than 

il  llt'teen   birds   in  bevy 

evil    operation  of   Miel; 

:e,  to  a  protest,  l)_v  some 
V  of  Newl)urg,  exclaim- 
exatious  and  made  so  as 
Ifffd/  rii;/i/s  of  one  class 

I  not   lor   the   benefit  of 

II  kill  game  on  their  own 
Jnveniencc,    pleasure  or 

e  passage :  "  Hut  why 
St  of  January  ?  Clearly 
rtable  for  the  loafers  to 
is  the  oidy  season  xv/uii 
creation." 

is  true;  hut  only  as  to 
le  law.  The  prohibition 
seless  vexatious,  absurd 
1  certainly  it  was  not 
d   it. 

j,'ame  laws  enloreeil  is 
that  they  s-em  just, 
e  more  unjust  than  they 

lo  Nuch  question  a^  .he 
Je  answered  at  once  by 
ose  time  is  intended  to 
and  duriner  that  onlv. 


Tf/E  ::>l/A//. 


fx) 


Therefore,  I  sav,  open  the  season  for  killing  and  selling  quad, 
woodcock,  rulVed  grouse  (:■«/,,'.  partridge)  and  rabbit  frotn  the 
first  of  October  to  the  first  or.  if  thought  better,  even  until  the 
fifteenth  of  Februarv.  We  shall  the.-  protect  each  ot  these 
animals  during  the  whole  time  in  which  they  need  protectmn, 
and  no  longer;  we  shall  avoid  the  appearance  as  well  as  the 
realitv,  of  partialilv  and  injustice;  we  shall  ultin.ataly  en-.st  the 
farmer  as  a  law.preserver,  instead  of  a  law-breaker;  and  m  the 
end,  we  may  hope  lo  have  fine  autumnal  shooting  throughout 
the    land,    instead    of    seeing    all    the    species    of    game    utterh 

exterminated. 

1  have  two  more  observations  to  make  under  this  head,  with 
which  I  shall  close  this  somewhat,  I  fear,  o.er-long  paper. 

The  first  is  addressed  to  those  gentlemen  who  procured  the 
passage  and  were  engaged  in  the  framing  of  the  law  as  it  now 
stands.  Their  obiect  was,  doubtless,  to  extend  the  utmost  possi- 
ble preservation  to  the  quail,  fearing  the  extinction,  during  the 
deep  snows  of  winter,  bv  trapping  and  the  gun. 

Now,  the  fact  is  that  the  quail  is  in  far  less  danger  of  extinction 
than  the  woodcock. 

Farmers,  seeing  the  quail  bred  and  wintered  on  their  land, 
accustomed  to  see  them  daily  feeding  on  their  stubbles,  and  during 
severe  storms  taking  shelter  in  their  barn-yards,  regard  them  in 
some  sort  as  poultrv;  do  to  a  certain  degree  protect  them;  and 
freque.itly  forbid  the  pursuit  of  them,  while  they  ofier  no  objec- 
tion   to   the   hunting    of    the    migratory    and    swamp-baunting 

wooilcock.  ,  .,,    1         ,• 

The  woodcock,  moreover,  is  much  more  easily  killed,  part.c- 
ularlv  during  the  absurd  and  barbarous  summer  shooting;  and 
lastlv  it  is  a  matter  of  fact  that,  while  for  fifty  miles  round  all 
our  "large  cities,  and  even  our  considerable  villages,  the  wood- 
cock has  become  almost  extinct  within  the  last  ten  years,  the 
quantity  of  quail  has  very  slightly  declined,  i.  at  all,  during  the 

same  period.  . 

Deep  snows  and  severe  weather  may  thin  them  lor  a  time,  but 
one  or  two  prosperous  seasons  bring  them  about  again,  and  the 
stock  is  as  numerous  as  ever. 

With  regard  to  the  woodcock,  on  the   contrary,   1   know  hity 


m. 


70 


Tf/E  ^l/A/L. 


swamps  myself,  wherein,  ten  years  ago,  it  was  an  easy  thing  to 
kill  twenty  birds  in  tlie  morninfj,  in  wliich  there  lias  not  been  a 
solitary  cock  seen  for  the  last  six  or  seven  seasons. 

There  is  no  fear,  therefore,  of  injuring  tiie  quail  by  extenil- 
ing  the  open  season  for  shooting,  while  certain  annihilation 
must  fall  on  the  woodcock  if  summer  shooting  be  not  instantly 
abolished. 

My  second  appeal  is  to  the  farmer,  to  wliom  I  desire  to  point 
out  that  it  is  vastly  for  /lis  hilnest  to  enforce  the  game  laws,  even 
if  he  care  nothing  about  shooting  himself. 

'["he  fondness  of  lieldsports  has  increased  much  of  late,  and 
the  quantity  of  game  diminished  so  greatly,  that  if  in  any  section 
of  the  country,  where  game  of  any  kind  abounds,  two  or  tlnee 
owners  of  adjoining  farms  would  combine  to  preserve  their  game 
strictly,  allowing  no  person  to  shoot  it  at  any  season,  and  rigor- 
ously prosecuting  for  every  trespass  and  every  breach  of  the 
game  laws,  they  could  readily  let  the  exclusive  privilege  of  shoot- 
ing, over  every  thousand  acres  so  preserved,  for  two  or  three 
hundred  dollars  a  season,  or,  perhaps,  even  a  larger  sum. 

Advertisements  in  the  "  Spirit  of  the  Times  "  or  other  papers 
of  large  circulation,  offering  the  riglit  of  sporting  upon  such 
tracts  of  land  so  preserved,  would  be  readily  taken  up  uy  com- 
panies of  two  or  three  gentlemen,  supposing  that  due  reliance 
could  be  placed  on  the  strict  protection  of  the  game  against  all 
interlopers. 

There  is  no  doubt,  therefore,  that  in  good  game  countries  every 
farmer  owning  two  hundred  acres  of  land  can,  by  combining 
with  his  neighbors  to  enforce  the  game  laws,  realize  his  fifty  dol- 
lars, and  from  that  to  a  hundred  a  year,  without  the  expense  of  a 
dollar  or  half  an  hour's  trouble. 

I  know  myself  at  least  fifty  gentlemen  who  would  gladly  com- 
bine in  parties  of  three,  four  and  upwards,  to  hire  the  privilege  of 
exclusive  shooting  on  good  tracts  of  sporting  ground.  I  would 
myself  willingly  enter  into  such  combinations;  and  should  any 
farmers  think  this  suggestion  worthy  of  notice,  would  gladly 
assist  them  in  negotiating  such  arrangements. 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  for  certain  tracts  of  land, 
such  as  portions  of  the  drowned  lands  in  Orange  county.  New 


York,  the 
Little  Pio 
jersey,  th 
like,  if  re 
dollars  an 
of  shootii 
The  Ce 


NoTK.— 
part,  cliisei 
Sliiiotini;," 
it's  Kii'lil 

KniTiiK. 


t  was  an  easy  thing  to 
K  there  lias  not  bcL-n  a 
I  seasons. 

ig  tlie  quail  by  I'xti'nil- 
lie  certain  annihilation 
ootinj;  be  not  instantly 

whom  I  desire  to  point 
rce  the  game  laws,  even 

r. 

aseil  much  of  late,  ami 
ly,  that  if  in  any  section 

abounds,  two  or  three 
i  to  preserve  their  game 

any  season,  and  rigor- 
id  every  breach  of  the 
usive  privilege  of  shool- 
jrved,  for  two  or  three 
■n  a  larger  sum. 
rimes  "  or  other  papers 
of  sporting  upon  such 
idily  taken  up  i,j  ^om- 
osing  that  due  reliance 
af  the  game  against  all 

3d  game  countries  every 
ind  can,  by  combining 
.ws,  realize  his  fifty  dol- 
ithout  the  expense  of  a 

I  who  would  gladly  com- 
,  to  hire  the  privilege  of 
•ting  ground.  I  would 
ilions;  and  should  any 
af  notice,  would  gladly 
lents. 

ir  certain  tracts  of  land, 
in  Orange  county.  New 


T//E  SlUAIL. 


V 


York,  the  Big  Piece  on  the  I'assaic  river,  the  Long  Meadow,  the 
Little  riice,  in  the  same  vicinity,  the  Chatham  meadows,  in  New 
lersey,  the  ciuail  grounds  near  Sparta,  in  the  same  state,  and  the 
like,  if  resolutely  preserved  by  the  joint  owners,  many  thousand 
dollars  annually  could  be  realized  merely  for  the  exclusive  riuhl 
of  shooting  over  them. 

TliK  Ceuaks,  Kiln  ii;iry.  I'^l'i. 


NoTK.—Tho  cNcellrnt  series  of  sketches,  (if  wliii-li  llic  fnregning  form  a 
part,  closes  witli  a  viiy  cnt.rlaininK  mid  instnutivc  article  u|ioii  ••  l^uail 
Sliooliim."  Init  as  llie  paper  lias  lieen  (jiveu  aliiw.sl  vfilHilhn  in  •  l'>.ink  Forest- 
er's Kieia  Sports."  it  may  he  safely  coiisiilere.l  that  it  is  familiar  to  tlw  reader. 

KniroH, 


AMONG  THE  MOUXTAINS; 


(III, 


TAKINd  TIMES  ALO.Xd  A   TROUT  STREAM 


IT  is  some  two  yi':irK  sinCL-.thal  I  was  sitlint?  alone,  in  tl.o  i-arlv 
1   gloaming  of  a  beautiful   Mav  .vt-nin-.  towarci    the   close  ol 
that  sweet  but  variable  month,  in  the  projeeting  oriel  windows  ol 
my  little  eottage-hall,    .vhich  overlooks  a  beautiful  reach  of  the 
smooth,  silvery  I'assaic,  and  the  upward  slopes  of  the  farther  sid.' 
covered    with  "rich    orchards,  in   the   last   flush  of  their  delicate 
bloom,  and  groves  of  ornamental  forest  trees  and  shrubbery,  horn 
which  peep  out,  not  unfrequent,  the  roofs  of  ornamented  cottages 
or  unambitious  tarm-houses-a  calm  and  pleasant  i.icture  of  easN 
a.Kl  contented  moral  culture.     The  day  had  been  soft  and  balmy, 
with  a  miUl  western  breeze  playing  among  the  tender,  light  green 
spravsof  the  beeches  and   the  young  chestnut   leaves,  the   hya 
cinths  and  jonquils  were  gay  and  fragrant  in  the  garden  beds,  the 
lilac  hedges  perfumed  all  the  air  around,  and  a  faint  scent  was 
stealing  from  the  woodbines   on   the  porch  and  the  cluster-roses 
around  the  rustic  verandas.      The  blue-birds,  saucv  and  familiar, 
had  been  busy  all  day   long,  twittering  and   chirruping,  as  they 
flew  to  and   fro  with  morsels  of  wool  and    moss  or  feathers,  to 
their  nesting  boxes;  from  the  shrubberies  had  come  constant  the 
melodious    warble   of    that    much  maligned   of   songsters,    the 
traduced  cat-bird,  while  from    the  neighboring  wood-skirts  had 
come  up,  clear,  ringing  and    mellow,  the  emulous  carols  of  the 
brown  and  the  hermit  thrushes. 

IJut  now,  as  the  day  waned  and  the  fire  in  the  west  faded  out, 
all  was  changed,— sounds  and  sights,  and  the  sentiments  created 
by  them.  A  soft  mist  floated  up  from  the  stream,  half  suiting 
the  landscape,  glimmering  as   it   was   in    Ihe    feeble   moonshine. 


AMONfi  THE  ^for^rTA/JVS. 


73 


UNTAINS; 


TROUT  STIiRAM 


s  sittiiifj  alone,  in  tlio  t-arlv 
niii^',  towani    tlie    close  ol 
irojectiiifj  oriel  wimlows  ol 
,s  !i  heautifiil  ifacli  ol'  tlu' 
rd  slopes  of  the  faillier  s-iile 
last   tliisli  of  tlu'ii-  iklieatf 
it  trees  and  shrubbery,  Iroiii 
lofs  of  ornamented  cottages 
Hid  pleasant  picture  of  eas_\ 
,v  had  been  soft  and  balmv, 
nong  the  tender,  light  green 
^chestnut   leaves,  the   hva 
rrant  in  the  garden  beds,  the 
Lind,  and  a  faint  scent  was 
porch  and  the  cluster- roses 
le-birds,  saucy  and  familiar, 
ig  and   chirruping,  as  they 
)1  and    moss  or  leathers,  to 
)eries  had  come  constant  the 
laligned    of    songsters,    the 
eighboring  wood-skirts  had 
,  the  emulous  carols  of  the 

le  fire  in  the  west  faded  out, 
,  and  the  sentiments  created 
3m  the  stream,  half  suiting 
s   in    the    feelile   moonshine. 


with  a  soft,  sau/.y  veil,  illumined  by  the  lustrous  beauty  within, 
like  transparent  lace  interspersed  between  the  eye  and  the  face  of 

■\  lair  woman. 

Ihe  only  sounds  which  now  soothed,  rather  than  broke  the 
silence,  were  the  pipings  of  the  frogs  from  the  marshes  beyond 
the  river,  mingkd  bv  the  distance  into  a  melancholy,  modulated 
concert,  the  plaintive,  oft-repeated  cry  of  the  whip-poor-will,  a. 
he  -kimmed  beneath  Ihe  moon  under  the  shadows  of  the  ueepmg- 
willows  over  the  gla-sy  eddies,  and  occasionally  the  long-drawn, 
quavering  wailings  of  the  brown  owls,  answering  one  another 
IVom  the  woodlands  on  either  bank  of  the  river. 

The  sprii  „  had  been,  as  usual,  somewhat  late,  long  and  dreary. 
There  had  been  sofi  and  plea>ant  tricks  of  weather  for  a  few  da> 
at  a  time,  and  genial  southerly  gales  for  a  day  or  two,  and  the 
willows  had  pushed  into  full  leaf,  and  the  grass  h.id  grown  fp  i 
and  succulent;  the  snipe  had  come  and  for  the  most  part  gone 
northward,  witb'-it  atlording  much  sport  to  the  shooters,  owing 
to  the  wild  and  interrupted  ehar.acter  of  the  springtide.  Am' 
this,  in  short,  had  been  the  lirst  day  of  real,  genial,  settled  sum- 
mer-seeming spring. 

Trout,  it  is  true,  had  been   captured   on   Long  Island,   in  the 
midst  of  sleet  and  snow-s(iualls  and  east  winds,  if  no»  in  thunder, 
lightning  and    in   rain;    captured   from  ponds,  in  which    leave  to 
talie  them  must  first  be  angled  for  with  the  all-conquei  ing  silver 
hook,  and  at  which,  when  ca|.tured,  it   is  the   use  to  leave  behind 
you  vonr  deur-won  booty.     But  to  me,  at  least,  the  glories  of  Long 
Island    are   departed;    and    its    once    noble    woods    and    waters, 
haunted  by  the  red  deer  and  the  heath-hen,  alive  with  countless 
hoards  of  geese,  brant,  I'onnI,  whose  name  is  like   their  number, 
legion,  whilom  frequented  by  such  choice  spirits  as  Cypress  aiul 
his  jovial  crew,  who  learned   therein  "  to  stop  a  woodcock  in   a 
brake,  with  the  finger  of  instinct  and  the  eye  of  faith,"  and  to 
"  cut  down  a  leatherhead,  at  sunrise,  skating  before  a  stilT  north- 
easter at  three  miles  a  minute,"  are  now  but  the  forlorn  gho>ts  of 
themselves,  the  suburban  cockney  sporting  grounds  of  New  York 
merchant   princes,  or    of   the   verdant    and    impudent    abortions 
known    us   the    rising    generation   of    Young    New    York    and 

Progress. 
6 


74 


AAfoxa  riiK  Mouxr.\/\s. 


Thcreforo,  be  it  known,  I  hail  tifilluT  f,'(»iu',  nor  thoiinht  ol 
fjdiiijf  down,  to  lliosf  oncc-t'anioiis  llhliin^^  plai-cs;  ami  ultliouKli 
iiiKtiiinltil  l)v  tlu'  annual  instinctive  astins,  wliitli  ptrioclii-ailv 
neizeK  the  amjlcr,  tlic  keen  shot  an>l  the  anient  hunter,  anil  cei  - 
tain  sij,'n>.  anil  season-  of  the  times,  I  hiul  oveihauleil  mv  C'un 
lovs  anil  m^  Kellevs,  oilcil  niv  eliek  reels,  looked  to  inv  lines 
that  they  were  unliayed  anil  sound,  ind  untouched  of  mildew  or 
dry  rot,  seen  that  my  hottoins  and  j^"'  loot  lengths  were  tou^h 
and  round  and  responsible,  and  t,'loaled  over  my  stock  ot  Hie-.,  ot 
many  nniiics  and  nations,  the  collection  of  years  speiil  in  wander- 
ings far  and  near;  I  had  little  intention,  little  hope,  of  welling  a 
lonj;  line  or  landinj;  a  two-poinultr,  whether  in  the  salt  creeks  oi 
the  Atlantic  shores,  or  in  the  moinitain  torrents  of  the  Appal.a- 
chian  ridjje  or  in  the  ice-cold  rivers  of  the  far  Northuesl. 

Still,  it  must  be  admitted,  I  had  been  thinking  all  ilav  lon^ 
about  my  favorite  sport,  of  which  the  season  and  its  especial 
fitness  so  pleasantly  reminded  me,  so  that  had  any  brother  of  the 
t,'cntle  craft  been  present,  or  any  accessible  water,  likely  to  atloril 
sport,  occurred  to  my  imajjination,  I  had  incontinently  packed  up 
my  traps  and  committed  myself  to  the  speed  of  the  famous  iron 
horse.  Hut  I  was  alone,  and  I  bethou{{bl  me  of  no  nearer  place 
than  the  wild  (Jarden  river,  or  the  lonj;,  foamv  ripples  of  the 
beautiful  Sault  St.  Marie  or  the  splendid  trout  streams  of  Lake 
Superior;*  with  a  sis;ii,  therclbre,  1  lighted  my  Indian  pipe  and 
proceeded  to  pulV  away  my  chagrin  in  a  cloud  of  delicatelv 
llavored  kinnikinnic,  lubricated  by  a  moderate  sip  of  exquisite 
Victoria  punch,  a  beverage,  indeed,  worthy  of  the  royal  ladv  in 
honor  of  whom  it  was  named  by  her  gallant  3jd. 

Just  at  this  moment,  however,  when  the  mellowed  legrets 
were  vanishing  before  the  soothing  influences  of  the  Indian,  there 

♦The  Lake  Superior  rcsfioii  was  "IVaiik  Korustcr's"  favoritL'  (isliiiijr  resort 
for  many  years,  ami  lie  there  cnjoyeil  the  most  superb  troutin^f  then  to  be  had 
in  the  country.  This,  however,  was  long  prior  to  llie  completion  of  the 
Wisconsin  Central  Kailroail.  which  drives  safe  and  speedy  access  to  the  glorious 
sportinj;  region  aliout  Like  Superior;  and  particularly  the  trout  streams 
debouching  into  Clieiiuamet'on  Kay,  near  Ashland,  on  the  south  shore,  and  the 
magnificent  Nepigon  river,  on  the  north  shore,  where  may  be  had  the  tinest 
trout-tishing  in  America.  Whether  for  its  scenery  or  the  angling  it  aliords 
the  Lake  Superior  country  is  unsurpassed  \\    v\' 


'\t/.VS. 

j,'oiiu,  nor  thought  ol 
[  places;  ami  iiltlioiijjli 

us,  whicii  ptTKHlicullv 
irdiMit  luinti.'r,  iiiiil  ccr- 
J  ovi'iliauli'il  my  C'(jn 
■Is,  looked  to  im  liiir- 
ntoiicliicl  oT  iiiililmv  or 
lot  lengths  wert'  toii^li 
er  my  slock  ol  Hie-.,  ol 
yt'uis  sjunt  ill  waiulei- 
llle  hope,  ol'  welliiij;  a 
er  in  the  salt  eieeks  of 
orrciits  ol'  ihe  Appala- 

lar  Nortliuisl. 

thinking  all  day  loiij; 
ieasoii  and  its  especial 

had  any  brother  of  the 
e  water,  likely  to  ntVoiil 
iicontinently  packed  up 
Ked  of  the  famous  iron 
me  of  no  nearer  place 
,  foamy  rij>ples  of  the 
trout  streams  of  Lake 
li  my   Indian  pipe  and 

a  cloud  of  delicately 
lerate  sip  of  exquisite 
y  of  the  royal  lady  in 
It  32d. 

the  mellowed  regrets 
cesof  the  Indian,  there 

;r*s"  favorite  lishin^  resort 
rb  troutinjf  then  to  be  had 
to  llie  coniplctioii  of  the 
[leeily  access  to  the  glorious 
icularly  the  trout  streams 
oil  the  south  shore,  and  the 
lere  may  bo  had  the  finest 
r  or  the  anjilin^;  it  aflords 

w.  vv 


AAfOJVa  THE   MOUNTAINS. 


75 


eame  to  my  ear  the  clatter  of  fast  hoofs  and  the  rapid  roll  of  little 
wheels  rattling  up  the  drive,  while  the  many-voiced  clamor  ol 
pointer,  setter,  Newfouiulland  and  terriers  announced  a  late 
arrival.  A  small  bustle  followed,  quick  ipiestions  and  answers, 
and  in  came  the  servant  hearing  a  telegraphic  message,  marked 
"in  haste,  forwanl." 

It  was  from  a  trusty  comrade  and  right  jolly  angler,  who  had 
pitched  his  t<nt  far  from  the  city  in  the  beautiful  valley  ot 
Chemung,  and  being  satisfied  that  his  lines  had  fallen  in  pleasant 
places,  troubled  u.  of  the  seaboard  but  rarely,  eitlier  by  literary 
eommuniention-  or  personal  interviews,  whicli  last  had  tor  the 
last  year  or  two  become  like  angel's  visits,  indeed  few  and  lar 
between.  So  ihat  I  was  somewhat  astonished  as  well  as  greatly 
pleased  when  1  read  his  name  as  I  glanced  hurriedly  at  the  foot 
of  the  dispatch. 

'.  iMunU   Forester  "-thus  it  ran.       '•Stony  Urook.  nattering  Creek,  have 
been  foul,  are  fuu-.      Trout  plenly.  prime.  taUiiiR.     Dinf  at  seven.      Erie  roa.l. 

Lanckuoi  I.anod.m.k. 
Now  or  never. 

••  Cotton's  Cabin.  Coliocton." 
VVhereunto  I  replied,  incontinently: 
"  Lancelot  Kanndale.-Now.     Dinner  tomorrow.  Thank  Korestbk. 

"  The  Cedars." 

Paid   the  dispatches,  dismissed  the  messenger,  happy  with  a 
dram   of  cogniae  and  a  cigar,  devoted   my  evening  to  a  reinvesti- 
gation  and   selection  of  tackle,  to  an  assorting  of  ankle  shoes, 
shepherd's    plaid    trousers,     shootiu-    jackets,   creels,    sandwich 
boxes  and  dram  oottles,  supped  lightly,  turned  in  early,  slept  like 
a  dormouse,    tiU    mv   man    dragged   me   out  of  bed,  two  hours 
before  sunrise,  and  found  myself,  just  as  Dan  Phoebus  made  hl« 
appearance    above    the   summit  of   the    Palisades,    creaking   and 
clattering  along  the  I'atterson  branch  of  the  Erie  Railroad,  in  a 
fearful   perturbation  of  mind,  and  haunted   by  a  sort  of  insane 
idea   that    1    ought    to    have    insured   my   life    and    limbs   before 
starting,  in  order  to  run  a  remote   chance  of  arriving   at   the 
terminu.^  with  my  due  share  of  arms  and   legs-a  rare  occur- 
rence, nowadavs,  on  a  New  York  railroad. 

For  a  wonder,  however,  we  passed  through   safely-whirled 
through  the  fair  pastoral   strath  of  the    Passaic  into  the    wdd, 


76 


AAf<>X(,    Till-    MOVS IMXS. 


romantic  (jlon  of  the  liniwlinn  U;iiim|u),  l)i-lorc  the  tlin  of  the 
carii,  the  iflliiiK  ot  tlioold  Ibresti*  iiml  tliu  <laininiin{  up  the  cryntnl 
water»  IjiuiUlicd  naiail  and  dryad  and  tlit-  -hv  orcailV  train,  llu' 
lovflicht  hvlvan  s.ilitudi.-,  the  most  Arcadian  dell  of  all  that  have 
reinaincii  unlionoied,  only  hccauhC  iinHimn  hy  mhik'  ininiorlil 
bard.  'I'hcncc  onward  Ihrouuli  the  fertile  meads  and  luxnrianl 
ilairy  farms  of  lovely  Orange  county,  till,  whirlini;  di//y  hinh  in 
uir,  over  the  broad  and  glanHy  waters  of  Ih.'  l)elav\are,  we  rn^h 
into  Penn-ylvania  an<l  are  lo^t  ainoiii;  the  ^tul)endo\l^  mountain 
ridjjes,  harJ  cra«s  and  clilV^  of  primitive  rock,  darW  forests  .>! 
evergreen,  now  skirting  the  brink  of  airy  precipices,  overlookiiiK 
leagues  of  valley,  hill  and  champaign,  above  whicii  it  seems  to 
hang  Kuspending,  and  now  Ihnnderinj,'  over  black  ravines  and 
roaring  cataracts,  on  giant  single  arches  that  outvie  that  bridge 
bnilt  in  the  Canton  of  I'ri,  by  the  Mishop  (ierold  of  t:insiedlen, 
an  local  history  says,  but  by  the  devil,  as  the  people  tell  you,  who 

know  better. 

At  last  I  found  myself  disembarked,  lisliing-iods,  gall-., 
carpetbags  and  sandwich-box,  at  a  quaint-looking  little  station- 
house,  peeping  out  of  a  cluster  of  cedars  and  hemlock,  about  half 
a  mile  short  of  a  picturesque  village,  which  was  discernible, 
orchard  embosomed,  in  a  rich  meadowy  tlat,  half  encircled  by  a 
reach  of  the  beautilul  Delaware,  here  a  broad,  shallow,  rapid, 
rippling  river,  brawling  over  a  stony  bottom,  with  here  and  there 
a  large  deep  pool,  in  which  the  waters  swept  in  lazy  eddies,  clear, 
but  dark  as  night,  owing  to  its  ex'.-.eeding  depth. 

At  the  station-house  a  wide,  well-kept  road  came  down  a  lai) 
among  the  wooded  hills  on  the  right,  leading,  as  the  finger-post 
informed  the  traveler,  to  a  city  of  some  size  and  beauty,  lying 
among  the  small  lakes  of  New  York,  to  the  northward.  On  the 
opposite  side,  through  a  bold,  ragged  gap  in  the  left-hand  moun- 
tains,  a  mountain  torrent  rushed  in  impetuously  at  an  oblique 
angle,  jamming  back  the  current  of  tlie  Delaware,  and  almost 
crossing  it  before  mingling  its  dark-brown  waters,  sprinkled  with 
bubbles  and  foam-tlakes,  with  the  majestic  river. 

From  the  conductor  of  the  railroad  I'rank  had  contrived  to 
pick  up  some  information  concerning  his  friend  Lancelot,  who, 
up   here   among   the   mountains,   was  something  of  a  personage. 


f  A/.VS 

hi'lorc  the  <liii  <>l  ll>i' 
atnindiK  up  llio  i-rvHtal 
I  sliv  orcmlV  iiaiii,  llif 
iin  ilcll  <>r  all  that  liavi' 
uii^,'  bv  hoini'  iminorliil 
I'   iiicail'    ami   hixiiiiaiit 

wliiiliiii^  ili//y  liil^l'  i" 
till'  Delawnrc,  wc  ru-h 
L-  htuponiiouh  moimlaiii 

!•    rock,  ilarW   ti)ro>lH  ol 

piicipiciti,  ovorUMikiim 
Dovc  whicli  it  weem-  to 
Dvcr   black    ravincn  niiil 

llial  outvie  tliat  l)ii(li,'c 
)  (ieroUl  of  Kinhicillcii, 
the  people  tell  you,  who 

ked,  lisliitig-iotls,  KallV, 
int-lookini,'  little  Rtution- 
anil  hemlock,  about  hall' 

which  was  ili>ccinible, 
flat,  half  eiicircU'il  bv   a 

a  broatl,  hhallow,  rapid, 
loin,  with  here  and  there 
kept  in  lazy  eddies,  clear, 
if  depth. 

I  road  came  down  a  lap 
jading,  as  the  finger-post 
L"   size  and  beauty,  lying 

the  northward.  On  the 
1  in  the  left-hand  moun- 
ipetuously  at  an  oblique 
lie  Delaware,  and  almost 
,vn  waters,  sprinkled  with 
.tie  river. 

Frank  had  contrived  to 
lis  friend  Lancelot,  who, 
omething  of  a  personage, 


.\\fn\i.    Till.   Mo  I    N  /   l/.N> 


77 


ihi.ugl.  h.'  u.r- nobody  w  hile  show  ing  Imiisell  the  clev  cichI  young 
lawver   and    ino.t    brilliant    uiaga/.ini»t   of  New    York,    until,  a 
Mii.ill  legacv  lalliu';  to  him,  he  de-crlcd  the  ilollrtr-worHhiper-.  and 
their  il.ilHl  I.M-  a  retreat  among  the  lake-.      Here  he  led  what  the 
U  all-siiveter,  cilled  a  ukcIc.h  life,  with  a  few  old  Inciids,  a  goo.l 
in.inv  old  books,  a  little  old  wine  and  an  innocent,  charitable  and 
kiiullv  heart    -a  thing  whuh,  if  it  exist  at  all,  has  neither   value 
nor   honor    in    the    modern    (Jo.norrah.       He   had    learned    that, 
although  hi-   place   pioper— a  pretty  farm  of  some  eighty  or  a 
huiuhvd  acres-lay  not  lar  trom  the  iulet  of  the  lovely  .Seneca,  he 
h.ul  bought   a  scrap  of   the  wildest,  barrenest,  stoniest,  -Iraiigest 
kind  of   land,  up  the   gorge  of  the   identical    ravine   bclore  him, 
where  lie  had  established  the  queerent  sort  of  a  building  that  was 
ever  seen  in  old  .Sullivan  or  in  I'enusylvania  either,  said  the  mat 
ter-of-fact   guaulian  of   trains,  where    he   spent   some   portion  ol 
every  year,  in  the  spring  trout-fishing,  in  the  autumn  deer-hunt- 
ing,'and  in  the  deati  of  winter   pursuing   the  wilder  and   fiercer 
dcMiuens.  the   bear,  the   cougar  and    the   catamount,  which  still 
roaiiuil  and  roai  ed  in  those  little-frequented  solitudes. 

,\ccoulinglv,  no  sooner  had  I'rank  deposited  himself  and  his 
l,,il.>  on  the  boarded  platform  before  the  station-house,  before  a 
tall,  haiul-ome,  light-colored  mulatto  man,  dressed  in  a  buckskin 
hunting  shin  and  leggins,  and  flapped  felt  hat,  round  which  wa- 
lapped  a  ci.il  of  -audy. colored  lake-llies,  touched  his  beaver  and 
inquired,  with  a  sort' of  welcoming  grin,  displaying  all  his  fine 
white  teeth,  if  "di-  was  de  genlemau  what  Mas.a  Langdale 
expect.'  'Case  if  he  be,  he  please  come  'long  to  tie  boat,  and  be 
dar  in  no  time.'' 

Finding  that  he   was  in  the   right,  the    spoitsmaii    darken,  m 
whom  Frank  imagined  a  resemblance  to  an  ex(iuisile,  dark-curleil 
and    exquisitelv-bearded    coxcomb,   who,    in    former    limes,  had 
condescended  io  serve  Massa  Lancelot,  in  his  days  of  New  York 
ladv  killing,  in  the  capacity  of  adoiiizer  as  well  as  mentor,  became 
more  and  more  voluble  in  his  speech  and   mirthlul   in  his  greet- 
ings, till  he,  too,  having  evolved  Frank  from  some  dim  recess  of 
his  I'nemorv,  welcomed  him,  with  what  the   French  call  effusion, 
I.    Cotton  "cottage,  assuring  him  that  "  they'd  have  tine  times 
no**,  sartain! 


.  I" 


78 


AMO^'<^'    THE  MOUNTAfA'S 


With  that  he  shouldered   Frank's  vaHse  and  rodcases  and   led 
the  way  down  a  steep  path  to  the  water's  ed<;e,  .vhere  there  lay 
a  Ion-    sharp,   beautifuUv-niodelled    pirogue,  cut  of  the  entne 
trunk^of  a  huge  basswood,  containing   paddles,   setting    poles,  a 
long  rifle  and  longer  f.sh-spear,  and  having  its  bottom  carpeted 
with  fresh,  green   hemlock  tips,  artistically  disposed,  and  soft  as 
the  most  luxurious  couch  of  cities.      Into  the  bow  of  this  some- 
what  ticklish  craft  he   motioned    Kratik   to  descend,  wh.le,  after 
depositing  his  burthens  amuiship.,  he  coiled  himself  in  the  ster.>, 
and  vigorously  plying  his  paddles,  sent  the  light  boat  sk>mm,n, 
.cross  the  river  and  into  the  n.ou-h  of  the  stream,  whtch,  heie 
-ibout  fiftv  feet  in  width,  came  pouring  down  over  a  stony  bottom 
in  a  swift',  arrowv  rush  of  dark   brown   water,   filling  the  ravme 
almost  from  side  to  side,  and  scarce  affording  room  for  a  broken 
a,.,d   irregular   foot-path    atnong  the  bare  rocks,   the  deep     ern 
patches  and  the  occasional  patches  of  alder  and  red  willow,  which 
pushed  out  here  and  there  in   some   sheltered   cove,  where  they 
found  soil  wherein  to  flourish,  or  among  the  trunks  of  the  lordly 
pines  and  feathery  hemlocks  which  rifted  their  roots  m  the  stern 

'"'  Nothtn-  could  be  wilder,  nothing  more  picturesque  and  even 
,rand  at  times,  than  this  ravine  of  the  brawling  Catasauqua,  w.th 
he  .un  gle.,ning  only  here  and  there  on  the  loftiest  of  the  eastern 
cliflV,  or  s,re.uning  in  yellow  and  loving  light  through  the  gaps 
of  the  western   rklge   and   dwelling  on  the   soft  swells    verd.ant 
with  thriftv  hard- wood,  between  laps  and  hollows  tuU  o    so  t  blue 
shadows,   while   not   a    wandering  ray  could   touch    the   foa.ny 
ripples  and    glassv    shoots    and    rapids  of  the    impetuous   trout- 
team.      It    was 'hard    work    to  stem  the   rush  of  the    .ce-co  d 
'      v^^     'r,  and   Frank    soon    found   himself  compelled   to  buckle  to 
The  p  ddle  and  do  his  share  ot  the   propelling,  havmg  the  fear  o 
a  hu'e  arrival  and  cold   provender  before  his  eyes-no  F.easn 
nrospect   after  a  long  railroad   journey,  to  a  hungry  .  nd   t.red 
n  :n'    Swifter  waxed  the  stream,  and  swifter,  narrower  the  gorge 
Td  more  abruptly  and    angularly  winding,  at  t.mes  tnterrupted 
b    great  fallen  trees,  still  root-anchored  to  the  shores  from  whtch 
tl  ev    had   fallen,  among    the   .V..zv.M./.-./n>.like    branches   o 
,ih  it  required  skillful   pilotage,  and  at  times  .nterrupted   oy 


TAfA'S. 

e  and  rod-cases  and  led 
i  cdf,'e,  .vhere  there  lay 
ogue,  cut  of  the  entire 
laddles,  setting  poles,  a 
ing  its  bottom  carpeted 
Iv  disposed,  and  boft  as 

0  the  bow  of  this  some- 
to  descend,  while,  after 

liled  himself  in  the  stern, 
;he  light  boat  skimming 
the  stream,  which,  heie 
own  over  a  stony  bottom 
water,  filling  the  ravine 
)rding  room  for  a  broken 
re  rocks,  the  deep  fern 
ter  and  red  willow,  which 
eltered  cove,  where  the}- 
;  the  trunks  of  the  lordly 
ed  their  roots  in  the  stern 

lore  picturesque  and  even 
)rawling  Catasauqua,  with 
II  the  lot'tiest  of  the  eastern 
g  liglit  through  the  gaps 

1  the  soft  swells,  verdant 
id  hollows  full  of  soft  blue 

could   touch    the   foamy 
s  of  the   impetuous  trout- 
,  the  rush  of  the   ice-cold 
:lf  compelled  to  buckle  to 
ipelling,  having  the  fear  of 
fore  his  eyes— no  pleasant 
2V,  to  a  hungry  and   tired 
5'wifter,  narrower  the  gorge, 
nding,  at  times  interrupted 
;d  to  tlie  shores  from  which 
\.,/c-/r/>-like    branches   of 
id  at  times  interrupted   by 


AAf<).V(.    THE  MOUSTAISS.  79 

U,u..,  shooting  rapicis,  where  tlie  stream  was  so  much  contracted 
„Ki  ran  with  such  violence  that  the  paddles  became  useless  and 
it  was  onlv  bv  the  exertion  of  every  nerve  at  two  stout  setting- 
poles  that  the   .wo  men    succeeded   in   stemming   the  mountain 

rivulet's  force.  . 

ForalMuit  five  miles  they  had  threaded   the  intricacies  ol  tlie 
n,de  ulen,   the    mountains    toppling    higher   and    more  abruptly 
overhead,  the  old  trees,  solemnly  swathed  in  centennial  draperies 
of  inoss  and  ivy,  stooping  ghost-like  over  the  noisy  torrent,  and 
no  sound  or  sight  leininding  one  of   human   life  disturbing  the 
sen.e  of  solitude  or   suggesting   the  vicinity  of    man.      Once  or 
twice  a  prowling  otter  plumped  from  his  rocky  station  into  the 
pools,  as  the  dug-out  approached   him;  at  every   hundred  yards 
the  little  white-winged  sandpipers  sprang,  feebly  twittering,  Irom 
the  pebblv  banks  and  fluttered  along  its  margin;    once  and  again 
the  kinot^sher  swooped  and  soared  before  them,  bearing  away  ai 
each  plunge  a  scalv  victim  ;  on  rounding  a  projecting  stony  point 
.,  pair  of  beautiful  snow-white  egrets  rose  up,  like  spirits,  against 
the  dark  background  of  the  evergreen   forest;   and,  at  the  same 
moment,    the    harsli.    clanging    cry    of    the    golden    eagle    came 
harshlv  from   the  clilVs,  and    his    soaring  wings    intercepted   the 
,K,,,ow  glimpse  of  davlight,  as  he  sailed  slowly  up  the  gorge. 


AMONG   THE  MOUNTAINS. 

rpiir,.s  far,  since  thev  had  entered  the  wild  and  desolate  ravine 
I  of  the  Catasaucpia.  thev  had  passed  no  spot  which  could  well 
have  been  adapted  to  the  site  of  a  human  habitation,  even  of  the 
smallest  size  and  most  inferior  kind,  and  no  vestige  of  a  road  was 
to  be  discerned  bv  which  access  c.uld  be  had  to  it  from  the  set- 
tlements, except  up  the  channel  of  the  shallow  and  rapid  stream. 
And  as  the  day  gradually  declined,  and   the  sunbeams  through 


8o 


AMONG  THE  MOUNTAINS. 


the  gaps  in  the  hill-tops  fell  higher  and  higher  up  thi-  opposite 
mountain  sides,  and  dwelt  no  longer,  even  for  a  nvoment,  in  the 
bottom  of  the  valley,  Frank  began  to  get  somcwnat  curious  u> 
to  the  domicile  to  which  he  was  wending  his  way  undc-r  auspices 
so  peculiar,  and  somowhat  suspicious  as  to  Ihe  nat\ire  ot  the 
feed  which  was  likely  to  meet  him  in  the  middle  of  so  absolute 
a  wilderness. 

Nevertheless,  he  held  on,  stoutly  plying  his  paddle  or  his 
setting-pole  in  silence,  asking  no  questions  of  his  dark  ferryman, 
hut  greatly  admiring  the  picturesque  and  devious  pass  wliich  h.- 
was  traversing.  Suddenly,  after  forcing  the  canoe,  not  without 
the  dint  of  very  considerable  exertion,  up  a  long  shoot  of  clear, 
swift,  glancing  water,  where  the  stream  rushed,  unbroken,  over 
an  inclined  plane  of  smooth  rock,  the  ravine  turned  an  abrupt 
angle,  formed  by  the  projection  of  a  bare,  precipitous  crag  of 
vellow  linu'stone,  narrowing  the  channel  to  a  tl-.ird  of  its  usual 
width,  and  excluding  all  upward  view,  due  westward. 

With  a  powerful  sweep  of  liis  paddle,  the  steersman  brought 
round  the  head  of  the  light  vessel  and  she  swung  round  the  point 
in  deep  water,  and  lay  in  a  large,  circular  tranquil  pool,  some 
three  hundred  yards  across,  embosomed  in  a  sort  of  lap  an\ong 
the  hills,  of  a  milder  character  than  anything  which  Frank  had 
yet  seen  on  the  Catasauqua,  and  containing  on  the  left  bank  a  few 
acres  of  cleared  laud,  pastured  by  a  single  cow,  a  rougl.  Indian 
shooting-pony  and  half  a  dozen  ragged-looking  moun'-.iin  sheep. 
This  pool,  at  the  lower  end,  was  perfectly  still,  as  clear  as  glass 
and  verv  deep;  but  in  two  different  places,  at  its  upper  extremity, 
where  two  narrow  glens,  or  ghylls,  as  they  would  be  called  m 
the  north  country,  entered  the  little  amphitheatre  from  the  higher 
ridges  to  the  south  and  the  westward,  the  perturbation  of  its 
surface,  the  floating  bubbles  and  toam-tlakes,  and  the  whirling 
eddies,  showed  that  two  strong  and  rapid  streams  were  discharged 
into  it  from  above. 

On  the  point  formed  by  the  union  of  these  two  tributaries,  or 
constituen's  rather,  of  the  Catasauqua,  known  as  the  ".Stony 
nrook  "  and  the  "  Clattering  Creek,"  which  was  a  shelving  bank 
of  gravel  at  the  water's  edge,  covered  by  a  magnificent  grove  ot 
the  largest  hemlocks   Frank    had  ever  observed,  growing  with 


AINS. 

ligher  up  thi-  opposite 
1  for  a  moment,  in  the 

somewhat  curious  a> 
lis  way  under  auspices 

to  llie  nat\Me  of  the 
;  middle  of  so  absolute 

inij  his  paddle  or  his 
;  of  his  dark  ferryman, 
devious  pass  which  he 
he  canoe,  not  without 

a  long  shoot  of  clear, 

ushed,  unbroken,  over 
vine  turned  an  abrupt 
re,  precipitous  crag  of 

to  a  tl-.ird  of  its  usual 
;  westward, 
the  steersman  brought 

swung  round  the  point 
ar   tranquil   pool,  some 

in  a  sort  of  lap  an\ong 
ling  which  Frank  had 
g  on  the  left  bank  a  few 
e  cow,  a  rougl.  Indian 
)oking  moun'-iin  sheep, 
tlv  still,  as  clear  as  glass 
.  at  its  upper  extremity, 
ley  would  be  called  in 
itheatre  trom  the  higher 
the  perturbation  of  its 
akes,  and  the  whirling 
,treams  were  discharged 

these  two  tributaries,  or 
kr.own   as   the   "  Stony 

ch  was  a  shelving  bank 
a  magnificent  grove  of 

observed,  growing  witii 


AMOXn   THE  .\f  or -.VTA/ AS 


8i 


fneir  great  trunks  far  apart,  but  their  wide,  feathery  branches 
,„ingled  above  into  a  catu.py  of  impenetrable  verdure,  stood  m  a 
s,nall.  sheltered  nook,  scooped,  as  it  would  seem,  out  ot  the  shel- 
tering wood,  the  cottage,  which  he  recognized  as  the  welcome 
liourne  of  his  journey. 

'.  Cotton's  Cabin,"  as  the    owner  h.id    christe.ied    it,  after  the 
friend   and    brother    angler  of  dear   old    l..aac    Walton,   was  the 
smallest  and  least  pretending,  as  it  was  the  (luaintest  and  prett.e-t 
of  primitive  cottages,       In  Iront  it  presented  a  face  ol  tlnrty   teet 
,n  length,  divided    into    three  co.npartmenls,  that  m  the  centre 
presenting  an  advanced    gable  of  a  story  and  a  half  in  height, 
with  a  dortner  window  above  the  rudely-arched  doorway,  w.th  .ts 
,u,ainllvcarved  inscription  on  the  key-block,  and  a  gigantic  pa,r 
of  elk  "antlers  adlxed  lo    the  wall   above    it.       In   the  spaces,  on 
..ither  side,  which  were  but  one  story   in  height,  was  one  largo, 
latticed  window,  and  no  more.     The  whole  edifice  was  Iramed  ol 
rude  pine  log^.  with  the  bark  still  on  them,  those  in  the  wings,  U 
thev   inav  be  so  called,  lunning  horizontally ,  dove-tailed  into  one 
■mother  at  the  ends,  tho.e  of  the  centre  standing  perpendicularly, 
,norticed  into  the  plate,  and  ground-siUs.     The  doorposts,  lintels 
,nd    window    frame-   were    just    as   rugged  of    materials   and  as 
,„siic  of  manufacture  as  the  remainder  of  the  building;   and  the 
,„of,    wliich    widelv    overiumg    th.-    eaves,     was    covered    «.th 
scolloped  slabs  of  pine  bark,  overlapping  each  other  like  shin- 
Sles      A  bright,  fitful  light  glancing  from  one  of  the  w.nc.ows, 
out  of  the  shadows  of  the  hemlock  grove,  and  a  blue  wreath  ot 
smoke  winding  up  in  stror.g  contrast  against  the  black  loliage  ot 
the  evergreens,  gave  pleasant  token  of  preparation  and  ot  hospit- 
able  welcome  in  the  wilderness.       There  was   no  sign  ol  cultiva- 
tion, no  fi    wer  pot,  no  patch  of  vegetables  near  the  house,  only  a 
narrow  .-rave',  walk   winding  up  among  the  grape  stems  to  the 
door    from  .•  small  dock,  at   which   lay   moored  another  dugout, 
similar  to  that  in  which  the  voyagers  were  approaching,  U  couple 
of  Indian  birch  canoes  and  a  light  cedar  skitV.  double-headed  like 
a  whale-boat,  built  for  a  p^.ir  of  sculls  or  paddles.     But  the  ground 
under  the  trees  was  beautifully  smooth,  well-kept  and  cleared  ot 
fallen   leaves,   the  hemlocks   themselves   were   free    from    dead 


82 


AAfOXC;    THE   MOl'NlAfXS. 


brandies  and  lirv,  sapless  limbs,  and  on  the  stems  ot  one  oi  two. 
in  the  foreground,  the  native  vines  and  creepers  h.d  been  trained 
with  some  care  and  t;re\v  luxuriantly,  with  their  lon^  trailers  and 
bright  hues  otlVrin^,'  a  pleasant  contra-t  to  llie  dark  formality  of 
the  evergreens.  The  only  animals  visible  were  a  noble  jet-black 
NewlV)undland  dog  lying  at  length,  with  his  head  eonclied 
between  his  massive  paws,  on  the  door-sill,  and  a  huge  eagle  owl, 
sitting  on  a  rustic  perch,  to  which  one  leg  was  attached  by  a  long, 
light  chain,  devouring  part  of  a  tish  which  liad  been  s^i-  en  to 
him,  and  occasionally  wakening  all  the  echoes  Oi  tlie  lulls  by  hi^ 
solemn  and  melancholy  shouts,  waughoh!  waaghoh!  rendering 
the  wild  aspect  of  the  place  wilder  and  more  outlandisli. 

"  Dar  de  cabin,  sah,"  exclaimed  the  mulatto,  brightening  \\\> 
as  they  came  into  sight  of  the  rustic  lodge,  "  and  dar  old  Cappiui, 
de  dog,  and  dar  de  owl;  and  dar  come  Massa  I-angdale,  too,  1 
guess,"  as  the  door  opened  and  the  owner,  a  tail,  fine-lookiim 
young  man  of  some  eightandtwenty  or  Miirty  years,  made  his 
apjiearance  on  the  lawn,  if  it  may  s(^  In.  called,  attired  sport^-- 
manly  in  a  tweed  shooting  jacket  and  trousers,  a  low-cro  ned 
felt  bat  and  u  pair  of  stout  shooting-shoes. 

"Iloware  you  Frank.'"  he  halloaed  in  a  clear,  strong  voice. 
"  Devilish  glad  to  see  you  at  tlie  cabin,  now  that  you've  got  to  it, 
which  I  suppose  you  gave  up  in  despair  of  ever  doing.  I  should 
have  come  down  to  pilot  you  up  niy.'e;f,  but  I've  got  a  queer  sort 
of  cockney  chap  up  here,  only  he  n  not  a  cockney,  but  a  New 
York  chap,  that  knows  more  about  nsiiing  than  all  of  us  together, 
to  hea'  his  own  talk.  lie's  a  Wall-streeter,  I  believe,  but  he 
ca'.i.  .  :'  to  me  upon  the  strength  of  a  letter,  and  I  can't  gel  rid 
of  \\iv.\:  .lut  I  fancy  another  day  or  two  will  tinish  liim,  for  he 
frail!:  :,  i.s  vou  sav  in  Yorkshire,  very  badly,  and  he's  death  on 
tackle.     But  come  in,  come  in  ;  ain't  you  thirsty.'" 

Whereupon,  replying  to  his  friend's  greeting  so  .soon  as  he 
found  room  to  put  in  a  word,  and  admitting  that  something  long 
and  cool  wouldn't  go  far  wrong,  Frank  followed  his  friend  into 
the  interior  of  the  fishing-hut,  first  pausing  to  note  the  invitation, 
carved  in  rude  characters  of  old  black  'etter,  upon  a  slab,  beneath 


rAfxs. 

lie  stems  of  :iiiL'  oi  two. 
eepers  li.  d  been  tiaineii 
li  their  Ionf<  trailers  anit 
D  Ihe  tiark  Ibrniality  ol 
le  wen  a  noble  jet-blacK 
vith  his  head  eoiiclied 
1,  and  a  luijje  ca.ijle  owl, 
:  was  attaehed  bv  a  lony, 
lieh  liad  been  i^i' en  to 
clioes  Ol  tile  hills  by  his 
il  \vaa{^h-oh!  renderiii,; 
lore  outlandish, 
mulatto,  brightenin.;  up 
;e,  "  and  dar  old  Cappun, 
Massa  I-angdale,  too,  1 
.ner,  a  tall,  fine-lookinsj 

thirty  years,  made  his 
)e  called,  attired  sports- 
trousers,  a  lovvcro  lied 
2s. 

in  a  clear,  strong  voice. 
low  that  you'v  e  got  to  it, 
of  ever  doing.  I  should 
but  I've  got  a  queer  sort 
t  a  cockney,  but  a  New 
!ig  than  all  of  us  together, 
leeter,  I  believe,  but  he 
■tter,  and  I  can't  get  rid 
)  will  finish  liini,  for  he 
ladly,  and  he's  death  on 
u  thirsty?" 

i  greeting   so  soon  as  he 
ting  that  something  long 

followed  his  friend  into 
ling  to  note  the  invitation, 
;tter,  upon  a  slab,  beneath 


AAfONii  THE  AfOrrjVTA/NS. 


S3 


,he  branching  antlers,  which  ran  thus,  in  the  owner's  antiquated 

doggerel— 

COTTOS'S  CAIil.N. 
1S50. 
Rest,  iinglcr,  lierc  y"r  wcaiy  feet; 
A  lirdtlier  :int>lcr  liiJs  you  stay. 
If  hearty  Krcetins.  liealthy  meat. 
Mild  drinlv  to  -noisten  thirsty  elay. 
A-lied  betimes  and  lilythe  uprisiii)?. 
He  welcomes  worth  an  anL,'lcr's  prizin)-. 

The  ent>an.-e,  which  was  had  through  a  hatch-duor,  the  upper 
half  of  which  was  glazed,  admitted  them   into  a  small    vestibule 
,  .some  .eu  feet  squire,  with  a  door  in  the   centre  of  each  s.de. 
Us   walls    were    plainly    wainscotted    with   unpamteu  but  neat'y 
.arnished  pine  wood,  of  which  also  were  all   the  doors,   wndow- 
casin-'s    and    wood-work  of  the   hou.e ;    the    floor,  composed  ot 
octagonal  pine  blocks,  similar  to  those  used  in  the  old  wooden 
pavement  of   Hioadway.  was  covered   by  a  neat   red  and   white 
matting,  in   the  centre  of   which  stood   a   solid  octagon-shaped 
pine  table,  strewn   with    powder-flasks,   shot-pouches,  reels,   ty- 
hooks  and  manv  e.  the  implements  and  materials  necessary  lor 
the  an-ler's  or 'shooter's  art.     The  wainscotting  was  hung  around 
.vi,h  ri"les,  shot-guns  of  several  sizes  and  calibres,  rods  of  all  sorts 
,nd   dimensions',   from    the   huge  eighteen-foot   sahtion   >od  and 
powerful  trolling-rod   for  the    great   mascalonge   and    pickerel  ot 
the  lakes,    to   the   neatest  and  lightest   single  handed   trout-rod, 
built  especiallv  for  the  use  of  the  smallest  mountain   streams; 
with  landing-nets  and  gatTs  of  new  construction,  and  Indian  pipes 
and  paddles,  and  fish-spears,  interspersed,  swinging  from  tK- deer 
antlers   atVixed   at    intervals    along    the    cornice,    festooned    with 
Indian-tanned  hides  of  the  deer,   the   wolf,  the  cougar  and   the 
loup  cervier,  none  of  them,  even  at  that  day,  rare  or  unfrequenl 
visitants  of  those  rude  and  thinly  populated  districts.     I  wo  glass- 
fronted  corner  cupboards  in  the   upper   angles  of   the  rootn  d.^ 
played,  the    one  a  beautiful    assortment  of  lines,   bottoms,  loot- 
links,  hanks  nf  salmon-gut,  reels,  winches,  hooks  of  every   lorm 
and  dcscripiion,  bait-kettles,  creels  and  a  complete  assortment  ot 
costly  feathers,  furs,    silks,  gold  and  silver  twists,  and   all  the 


84 


AAfOAf.    THE  hfOrSTAI.\^< 


necessaries  lor  flv-inaki,.«  ;  the  other  a  show  of  all  the  sportsiiia.i 
can  require  for  shooting;,  v  hether  upland  or  lowland,  mountain 
or  forest,  field  or  fen,  sea  or  river,  which  wouki  not  have  been 
overlooked  in  Cooper's  m  ,^t  perfect  showcases;  four  massive 
settles  of  the  same  fashion  and  material  as  the  table,  with  d.xT- 
skin  cushions,  completed  the  furniture  of  this  primitive  but 
pleasant  and  characteri-tic  apartment. 

The  door  to  the  left  fjave  admission  to  a  siltins-room  of  the 
same  si/e  and  corresponding  furniture,  with  tlie  exception  that, 
i,.stead  of  arms,  anlkrs  and  furry  tapestries,  its  varnished  hui 
unpainted  walls  were  adorned  by  some  tine  engravings  from 
Landseer  and  bv  two  sets  of  well-filled  book-shelves,  one  one.ich 
side  of  the  great  fire  place,  in  which  blazed,  not  unpleasant,  even 
at  that  season,  in  that  wild  spot,  among  those  bleak  and  chill) 
mountains,  a  merry  fire  of  pine  knots  and  rock-maple.  'I'wo 
double  settles,  one  on  each  side  the  fire,  four  cushioned  arm- 
chairs, two  tables,  one  in  the  centre  spread  with  a  white  cloth  and 
laid  with  three  covers,  and  one  beneath  the  end  window— for 
this  room  possessed  two— cosered  with  books,  writing  materials, 
a  che-sboard  and  a  few  knick-knacks  and  ornamental  articles; 
we  will  add  a  noble  jet-black  beu.  skin,  playing  the  part  of  hearth- 
rug, ,..d  the  tale  is  told  of  the  decorements-as  Caleb  Haider 
stone  would  have  called  them— of  the  mIou  of  Cotton's  Cabin. 

It  wa-  not  into  this,  however,  that  Lancelot  led  the  wav  ;  but 
ihrowing  open  the  right-hand  door  from  the  hall,  •'  I  am  sure, 
Frank,"  he  -^aid.  "  after  your  burning  race  at  the  tail  of  the  Krie 
te.i-kettle  and  your  long  pull  up  the  Catasauqua,  you  would 
rather  have  a  cool  bath  than  anything  else,  while  the  cool 
drink  is  getting  ready.  So  voila  on,-  common  sleeping-room. 
tv»W  the  bathing-tub,"— pointing  to  a  huge  cedar  tub,  sparklin- 
with  almost  ice-cold  water,— "  and  here  comes  .Scipio  .\fricanu-. 
bearing  your  trap>.  So  now  to  make  yourself  presentable  «ith 
what  speed  you  will,  and  then  to  supper,  or  dinner,  if  you  like 
it  better,  with  what  appetite  you  may.  And  now  as  to  the  cool 
drink,  will  you  London  porter,  will  you  cider-cup,  will  you 
sherry,  will  you  claret.?— the  ardent  we  eschew,  save  in  the  fish- 
ing-flasks, as  an  antidote  to  wet  feet,  chills  and   fever   and  such 


open 
But  li( 


■TA/.\'S. 

liowotall  Uie  spiirtMiiaii 
id  or  lowland,  mountain 
ill  wouki  not  have  bocn 
howcases;  four  massive 
1  as  tlic  table,  with  dcer- 
.'    of    this    primitive    but 

1  to  a  sitting-room  of  the 
with  the  exception  llial, 
;stries,  its  varnished  hui 
ic  fine  engravings  from 
)ook-shelves,  one  on  each 
zed,  not  unpleasant,  even 
:t  those  bleak  and  ehill\ 
5  ami  rock-maple.  'l"wo 
ire,  four  cushiomii  arm- 
■ad  with  a  wliite  cloth  and 
,th    the   end   window— for 

books,  writing  materials, 
and  ornamental  articles; 
playing  the  part  of  hearlh- 
ments— as  Caleb  Haider 
uiloii  of  Cotton's  Cabin. 
..ancelot  led  the  wav  ;  but 
im  Ihe  hall,  "  I  am  sure, 
ice  at  the  tail  of  the  Kvie 
;  Catasauqua,  you  would 
ling    else,    while    the    cool 

cominon   sleeping-room, 
luge  cedar   tub,  sparklinn 

comes  .Seipio   Africanu-^. 

yourself  presentable   with 

iper,  or  dinner,  if  you   like 

And  now  as  to  the  cool 

you  cider-cup,  will  you 
;  eschew,  save  in  the  fish 
:hill8  and   fever   and  such 


A^fOX<i    THE  MOrNTAIXS. 


8,S 


l,lest   appendages    of   the    time,    the    place    and    the    profesBion. 

What  sav  vou."' 

'■  Cider'cu].,"  replied    Frank,  briefly,   who   had  already  extr.- 
ruled  a   change  of  habiliments    from    his  crammed    valise,  and 
divested  himself  of  his  dusty  jacket;  and  with  the  words,  ■'  I'll 
see  to  it  myself,"  his  hospitable  host  left  the   chaml.er,  loUowed 
hv  the  conqueror  of  Hannibal,  showing  his  ivories  Iron,  ear  to 
ear,  and  chuckling  to  himself  at  he  knew  not  what.      MeanwlnU. 
Frank,  though  he  applied  himself   with  all  due  diligence  to  the 
renovation  of  his  person,  curiously  observed  this  mountain  l»ed- 
chamber,  and  examined  all  its  apparatus;    for,    wanderer  as  he 
was,  and  acquainted,  1  ke  Ulysses  of  old,  "  with  the  cities  and  the 
ways  of  many   mortals,"  yet  of  a  verity,  like  of  Ibis,  at  home  or 
abroad,  far  or  near,  never  had  he  seen. 

Like  the  sitting-room,  of  which  he  had  caught  a  glimpse 
through  the  open  door,  this  chamber  had  two  windows,  one  over- 
looking the  basin  of  the  main  river,  in  front,  one  looking  trom 
the  east  end,  through  the  hemlock  grove,  toward  the  "  Clatlering 
Creek,"  one  of  the  cataracts  of  which  could  be  seen  among  the 
evergreens,  glancing  like  a  pillar  of  snow  through  the  shadow.s. 
Like"  that  also,  opposite  to  the  front  window,  this  had  a  wide, 
open  fire-place,  with  a  few  brands  smouldering  on  the  hearth. 
Hut  herewith  all  similarity  to  that  or  any  other  room  Frank  had 
ever  seen,  disappeared. 

Beds,  properly  so  called,  there  were  none;  but,  in  lieu  thereot, 
two  oblong  boxes  of  pine  wood,  about  six  feet,  or  a  little  over,  in 
length,  by  three  in  breadth,  heaped  to  a  foot  above  the  brim,  with 
■ui  hiviting  white  pillow,  and  a  .t^d  Tartan  plaid  by  way  ot  coverlet, 
occupied  the  two  spaces  on  each  side  of  the  fire;  and  one,  in  all 
respects  similar,  ran  across  the  front  of  the  room,   with  its  foot 
toward  the  door,  occupying  nearly   two-thirds  of  the  area  ot  the 
chamber.      To  make  up  for  this  occupation  of  space,  two  massive 
slabs  under  the  windows  projected  over  the  foot  of  two  beds,  one 
supporting  three  basins,  ewers  and  washing  apparatus  comp  etc, 
and  the  other  a  toilet-glass,  razors,  brushes  and  combs  and  all  the 
needfuls   tor  a  gentleman's   uprising.       .\bove   the   head  ol  each 
bed    an    angular   cupboard,   supported    on    brackets,   at  tour  teet 
from  the  ground,  was  ready  to  receive  the  occupant's   wardrobe; 


T- 


86 


AA/Om.'  THE  htOUNTAlNS. 


a  tanne-J  deerskin  for  a  foot-clotli  ami  a  fmir-legged  stool  to  each. 
Such  was  the  bed-chamber  of  Cotton's  Cabin. 

lUitsuch  passing'  observation,  tor  Frank's  inqiiirin^r  mind,  \v;i 
insiitVicient;  it  struck  his  eye,  at  once,  tliat    the    garniture  ol"  the 
beds  spoke   little  of  feather-bed,  hair-mattress,  Whitney  blankels 
or  down-sluiTcd  coverlets,  wherefore  see  he  must,  before  sleepini^. 
'I'o  the  britn,  or,  by'r  lady!  a  little  above   the  brim  of  the  bunks. 
])erbaps  two  feet  in  depth,  were  piled  the  soft  and  feathery  tips  of 
the   fra.t,'rant   hemlock,  with    the    stems    downward,  layer  above 
layer,  the  softest  and  balmiest  bed  on  which  ever  reclined  weary 
hunter.       Above  these  was  spread  a  tanned  deerskin    with  the 
hair   downward,  sheets  ol    the  cleanest  but    the  coarses*    linen, 
Rcenteil  with  the  *vild  herbs  on   which  they   had   been  blenvhed, 
and  over  all  the   warm   and   beautiful   hill-plaid,  the  quaint  bi.: 
lavorite  wear  of   the  eccentric   but   warm-hearted  owner  of  the 
cabin.     Scarcely  had   Frank  completed  bis  survey,  when  Lance- 
lot made  his  entree,  followed   by   AlVicanus   bearing  an  oaken 
salver,  on  which  was  a  mighty  pewter  tankard,  burnished  till  it 
shone  like  silver.      It   was  fdled— I  commend  it  to  you,  noble 
reader,  as  the  best  and  most  cooling  of  summer  beverages— with 
a  quart  of  sound  last  year's  cider  from  the  cask,  a  half  pint  of 
brown  sherry,  a  modicum  of  white  sugar  and  one  slice  of  lemon. 
The  surface  was  brown  as  maiiogany  with   grated  nuttreg,  and 
thereon  floated  a  bunch  of  thyine,  summer-savory  and  sweet- 
basil,  bobbing  about   among  great  lumps  of  ice,  glittering  and 
lucent  as  the  diamonds  of  Golconda. 

"  Was  hael,  Frank  Forester,"  exclaimed  the  host,  raising  the 
tankard  to  his  lips,  not  merely  in  ceremonial  hospitality,  as  was 
seen  by  the  length  of  the  pull  which  followed,  and  then  handing 
it  to  his  guest. 

"  Drink  hael.  Sir  Lancelot,"  elevating  the  tankard  more  and 
more,  till  its  bottom  corresponded  to  the  plane  of  the  horizon, 
and  then  lowering  it  with  a  grateful  "  A— h !  that  does  a  fellow 
good  when  he  was  as  thirsty  as  I  was  just  now.  But  how's  this, 
Sir  Lancelot.'  Is  not  this  shabby  treatment  .oward  Wall  street— 
or  don't  the  broker  drink?" 

"Only  brandy,"  replied  Langdale,  glancing  round  to  see  that 
the  door  was  shut.      "  Nothing  stronger  than  that,  nor  anything 


see ; 
knov 
Is  nc 


sbor 
dete 


"1 


/TA/.VS. 

fDiir-leggcii  stool  toeacli 
'ahin. 

ink's  in{|iiii  ing  mind,  wii 
hat  the  garniture  of  tlu- 
ittress,  Whitney  blankets 
he  nuist,  before  sleeping; 
e  the  brim  of  the  bunks, 
e  soft  and  feathery  tips  of 
downward,  layer  above 
,liich  ever  reelined  weary 
nned  deer  skin,  with  the 
;  but  the  coarses*^  linen, 
they  had  been  blea^  heel, 
hill-plaid,  the  quaint  bu: 
rm-hearted  owner  of  the 
his  survey,  when  Lanee- 
icanus  bearing  an  oaken 
tankard,  burnished  till  it 
)mmend  it  to  you,  noble 
summer  beverages — with 
11  the  cask,  a  half  pint  of 
[ir  and  one  slice  of  lemon, 
with  grated  nutireg,  and 
immer-savory  and  sweet- 
ips  of  ice,  glittering  and 

med  the  host,  raising  the 
nonial  hospitality,  as  was 
illowed,  and  then  handing 

ng  the  tankard  more  and 
he  plane  of  the  horizon, 
A — li !  that  does  a  fellow 
just  now.  But  how's  this, 
inent  ..oward  Wall  street- 
glancing  round  to  see  that 
.•r  than  that,  nor  anything 


A}/oxi.  tuf.  movntaixs.  ^7 

,nueb  weaker,  I  fancy.  lie  was  afraid,  it  seems,  he  should  fuul 
nothing  lit  to  drink  up  here  among  the  mountains,  ,o  be  brought 
„|,  a  gallon  of  old  Otard,  which,  seeing  that  1  drink  it  not,  be 
has  well  nigh  consumed  to  his  own  cheek.  1  c.mfess,  1  look  lo 
its  going  with  some  interest,  surmising  that,  it  gone,  he  wdl  go 

soon  afterward."  , 

"A  most  considerate  and   delicate   broker,"  returned    I'rank, 

laughing. 

-.  lint  for  heaven's  sake,  Frank,  not  a  word  about  \N  all  street 
,„.  brokers  before  bitn.  In  the  fust  place,  because  I  don't  know, 
lor  certain,  that  he  comes  from  the  one  or  rv  the  other.  In  the 
secon.',  because,  though  a  bit  of  an  ass,  he  is  not  a  bad  lellow, 
„ul  brout'hl  me  a  recommend  fron>  a  capital  good  on.-.  In  the 
third,  because  if  he  plead  guilty  of  both,  it  may  be  no  lault  ot 
his  that  he  hang  out  in  a  den  of  thieves  and  pursues  a  d.rty 
,.,|li„.,_it  mav  be  he  can  dwell  nowhere,  and  do  nothing,  else. 
And  in  the  fourth,  especially,  because  he  is  under  my  root,  what- 
ever  he  nuiy  be,  and  must  neither  be  iiniz/ed  nor  roasted,  lar  less 

artVonted." 

"  A  second  Tianiel,"  Frank  answered,  with  a  mock  .beisance. 
''I  never  roast  or  quizz  anybody,  much  less  mulls  in  my  nvn 
friends'  bouses.  Nor  do  1  admire  brokers  so  much  tha.  I  lov.  to 
talk  either  to  them  or  about  them.  In  this  case  I  wdl  esc.ew 
the  word  break  altogether;  I  .vill  Iradurc  my  rod,  should,  v  hich 
the  gods  forefend,  such  calamity  fall  out;  rend  my  line;  rackmy 
•nit,  /«vmy  hooks;  and,  should  occasion  be, /'«":r '"-.  hang  the 
U.e  head  of  any  who  shall  deserve  it;  but  devil  c  thing  will  I 
break,  no!  not  even  silence,  if   I  cannot  do  so  without  say.ng 

"broke."  .        ,    , 

"Weill  well'"  said  Lancelot,  "come  along,  you  are  riggeii,  i 

see;  and  dinner,  such  as  it  is,  is  ready.      And  you  shall   be  made 

known  in  due  form   to  Mr.  1>.  St.  Clair   Robins,  of   New   York. 

Is  not  that  high.'" 

"  Immense.     Wl-.at  does  P.  stand  for.'" 

"Peleg,  I  lancy.      But  he   calls  himself  St,   Clair  only;   lor 

shortness,  I  suppose.     In  his  signatures,  however,  out   comes  the 

detested  P." 

And,  therewithal,  passing  across  the  little  hall,  and  entering 


AMONG   THE  MOlhXTMXS 


-i: 


88 

into  the  sole  Mt.in«  room,  which  .orvea  tl.c  compan,  ior  lihran 

tion.a   pcrM.nabK'    r.«ur.'   --'"gl^.  elaborate-  "'    ^voU  o  Ic.l  h     -  i 

and-casy  sportsman's  .cc-d  like  this.  r.aa,n«  I  u;  last  n.nubcr 
.  TlH-  Spirit,"  in  the  red  li«ht  of  the  jolly  vvood  ..,  e. 

..p..  e.ter.  let  me  make  you  acquahUed  w.h  my  muul,  M. 
St.  Clair  Robins;  Mr.  Robins,  this  U  FranU  Koreste,  ;  you  we„ 
lookiuL' over  one  of  his  books  last  ni«ht. 

S     thev  bowed,  and  shook  lumds  and  were  nu.uall)  char...  d 
.„■  luse';  neither  of  them  caring  a  s.,ap  of  h  s  hn.er  whet    ■ 
;„.   other   .ere  erucined  before   breakfast;  and,  that  duty  do.u  , 
Frank  turned  reproachfully  to  his  h.end- 

..  HI  tn  Brulr  he  .aid ;  "  at  least  f.o.n  you.  I  expected  r.o. 
,Ui.  outrage.  Among  these  unutterable  hills  and  unpronounce. 
^^r^er'  where  iew  read  and  none  wr.te,  I  did  hope  to  sn.k 
;t.abo,ninable  shop.       Here,  at  leas,.  I  had  hoped  to  escape  the 

'"llere  Mr  St.  Clair  Robins  looked  at  our  friend  wistfully  and 
then  at  Lancelot   doubtfully,  as  if   hesitating    whether  he  was 

crazv  or  in  his  cups.  .       i.>,.„,,i.  j 

But  Lancelot  laughed  and  inquired.-'What  e.n.n.es,  l-ank. 

Mr.  Robins  imagines  you  see  4««Xr.s/"  ,„„a,,. 

..  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Robn.s,  I   never  have  been   so  unfor    u  a 
as  to  enjoy,/./.  /..;   and  even  if   I  ^^  "^^^^  ''^'^  "^^ 
.,fr-dd  of  ;  11  the  serpent  tribe,  I  an>  sure  .t  >8  ..ot  they   whom 
;;::';have  seen,    'sol  welcome  snakes,  save  ^^^^^^^ 
ers  alone.      From  the  least  wrigj^lh.g  dealer  ...  cheap  obsccn.t 
:Vhe  vast  baronial  constrictors,  who.  s.alU.wing  authors,  vo,     . 
,eir  torrents  of  folios;  these  are  the   terrors  ot  the  poo.   pe- 
nman's waking  hours,  the  tortures  o.   his  fevensh   d™-       'e 
had  hoped,  fondlv  but  fruitlessly,  to  hear  o.    no  books  l^ut  fl, 
Lks,  .u   booU-.nakers  unless  on  the   Leger  and  the  Derby    an 
,o>  o,     n.v   ih-st  visit    into   this    ,nost    inhospitable    cab.n-th. 
now!  stop  that,  Lancelot;  I  foresee   in  the  curl  of   vour   hp^  a, 
:ilusion   to  Uncle   Tom!-n,y    appetite  is  taken  -;y  ^^^-f, 
allusions  to  my  miserable  tr.ade  of  grinding  gamn.on  to  fill  the 
..Halt,  there!"    interrupted    Lancelot,   ''we-ll    .ee    about    the 


appcfil 


presei 


now- 
seasc 
have 


VTA/JVS 

lliL'  company  l'«r  lil"''"'>' 
object  of  their  conver-<a 
jratc  of  well  oilcil  bfiiia 
lely  (gotten  up  for  ii  fno 
iciini;  ttu'  last  iiuinbcr  oi 
Iv  wooil  flic. 

iiua  \vitl>  my  fiiftul,   Ml 
I'raiiU  Forester ;   you  were 

it." 

il  wfre  imiliuilly  chiuiiieil, 
mi)  of  bis  fitter  wbellur 
fast,  aiul,  iliat  iluly  done. 

id— 

from  you,  I    expected   not 

)le  liills  and   uiipronounce- 

Nvrite,  1   did   liop"  '"  *'"'^ 

,  I  b;id  lioped  to  escape  tbe 

at  our  friend  wistfully  and 
iesttatinf<    whether  he   was 

.tl_-'\Vhat  enemies,  Frank? 

have  been  so  unfortunate 
liad,  tliougli  beiny  terribl\ 
,ure  it  is  not  they  whom  I 
.kes!  save  me  troin  publisb- 
ir  .lealer  in  cheap  obscenity 
).  swallowing  authors,  voniil 
he   terrors  of  the  poor  pen- 

his  feverish  dreams.  Here 
o  hear  of  no  books  but  fly- 
,e  Leger  and  the  Derby,  and 
it    inhospitable    cabin— there 

in  the  curl  of  your  lip,  an 
elite  is  taken  away  by  base 

inding  gammon  to  fill  the— 
celot,   "we'll    see    about    the 


A}f<>\'(.    THE    MOV  \'TM.\S 


8y 


appetite  before  we  proceed,  for  I  observe  that  Scipio  has  done  his 
,lutv  ;  how,  it  rests  to  be  iteen." 

.So  thev  seated  themselves  cosily  round  ti^e  small  rouru  table 
.bereon  appeared  but  a  single  dish,  Hanked  by  a  P>«'-  ;-  ^^ 
,,.nu,ns,  a  decanter  of  sherry  and  a  Ion,  cork-m    he  la.  o    tu 
r,re  tiashed  a  porter-bottle  and  at  .St.  Clair  Uobms'  ngh.  h.uul  Ins 
favorite  cogniae  stood  sentry  over  his  plate.  ,  .       ,.  , 

.•No    soup.     Frank,"    said     Lancelot,    uncovering      us    dish 
whereon  reclined,  on  a  neat  white  napkin,  so  exc,u.s,tely  broiled 
tbat   all    the    fair    freshness   of    their   silvery    armor,    sanguine 
spotted,  all  the  innocent  tri-color  of  their  resplendent  fins,  was 
preserved  intact,  two  lordlvbrook-trout.  ,.,,-. 

..Tbree-pounders,  by  tlie  Lord  Harry!"  exclaimed  !•  rank, 
almost  bounding  from  his  seat. 

.'Good  bov.  Frank,"  replied  his  host  approvmgly.  Two, 
nrteen  ounces"  and  a  half,  this  fellow,"  tapping  the  largest  with 
,be  fi.hknife,  '-and  the  little  one  about  an  ounce  lighter;  but 
the  little  chap  .ought  the  harder  tight      Did  he  not,  Mi  •  ^"  ;;;;;^ 

..  Nearlv  five  minutes  longer,  I  reckon,  answered  the  S  oiku. 
•^  Now  tha't's  a  capital  good  trout,  a'most  as  good  as  ours  on   the 

'''""you  don't  see  manv  so  heavy  fish  as  those  on  the  Island, 
now.a.days,  Mr.  Robins  "  interposed   Frank,  "  two  or  three  .n  a 
season  at  best.      The  general  run  is  getting  small,  I    h,  ,.r,  tor 
have  not  fished  there  many  a  year."  .  .  .,     .      . 

..  Well    I  can't  sav,"  replied    Robins;  which  was  strictly  true 
for  he  had  never  wet"  a  line  in  his  life  in  any  of  those  beautifu 

„d  now  strictlv  preserved    waters,  though,  like   -any  otheis 
L  townsmen,  he  was  very  fond  of  talking  about    L.  .  S.,edeco,s 
and  .Sam  Cainans.     '•  Have  you  thetn  as  fine  in  England? 

..  Our  trout  in  England,  in  my  day,  were  much  larger,  but 
,nuch  fewer  in  number  and  much  shyer.  A  five,.ounder  was  no 
wonder  then,  and  who  would  not  rather  take  two  or  three  brace 
of  such  than  ten  or  twelve  do^en  haU"  pounders-sometimes  a 
monster  is  taken;  one  on  record,  caught  in.tlie  Rennet  or  the 
Avon,  above  twentv  pounds;  and  equally  large  hsh  have  been 
caught  in  the  Ulackwater,  in  Ireland.  Thatnes  trout  rarely  run 
less  than  five  or  over  ten  pounds ;  but  they  are  rare  and  solitary  fish 


J 


f)0  hUOVa   THE   MOVSIMXS. 

I!ui  a  fricKl,  wlm  ti,l.ocl  all  (irciU  Hritain  la.t  year,  idU  xw  tliiu 
except  in  close  vvnterH,  wluch  l.e  ai.l  not  try,  the  trout  arc  vt-ry 
numerous  ln.(  .xc.e.linnl v  ^n.all,  owln^',  no  doubt,  to  the  xvatu, 
hciutf  over.tishcd.  Another  slice,  Mr.  Lancelot,  an.l  if  you  sa.^ 
sherry,  I  say  ^lierrv  too.  What  say  you,  Mr  Roh.n^?" 
"  Allow  nie  to  tak.'  niv  branilyanilwater  to  your  sherry. 
•'  How  iihout  the  appetite,  I'raiiK.'" 

"  Pshaw!  what  have  trout  to  do  with  rppetile.>  Anylxuiy  can 
eat  trout  at  any  time;  t-  catch  them',  the  ihiuK.  Have  you  ■ 
fair  sprinkling  ot  sudi  as  tiiese  lierc.' 

.'There  are  nlwnvH  two  or  three  l>race  in  the  pool  and  ;i 
sprinkliuK  i"  all  the  hasins  down  the  Cul:i-auiiua,  a.ul  1  have  all 
the  lishint;  to  n.vself,  no  sportsmen  hnvinij  c<>//««e,/ as  yet,  except 
for  a  llvinK  visit",  to  the,e  rude  regions.  There  are  smne  very 
lar«e  lisl>  in  the  deeps  of  the  Delaware,  at  the  tails  ol  the  eddte, 
but  ..o  one  will  believe  it,  because  they  cannot  he  taken  by  bait  at 
all,  nor  bv  a  fly,  except  at  ,noonli,'ht;  and  I  am  not  .anx.ous  to 
,,ersuade"them  about  it.  I  .nean  that  we  two  should  «o  down 
when  the  moon  is  lull  and  have  a  dash  at  then,.  Stony  Urook 
has  some  Kood  pools,  hut  the  fish  run  smaller;  a  pouttd-and-a- 
halfer  is  a  biK  otie,  atul  the  average  is  not  above  three.iuarters. 
Mr    Robins  had  K'>od  sport  this  morning,  up  it." 

"Twentv  one  ftsh-einhteen  pounds  in  all,"  said  that  wortny 
complacently  ;  "  hut  it's  the  deuce  and  all  on  tackle." 

"Full  ot  fallen  trees  and  logs?"  asked  Frank.     "  I  hey  are  the 

deuce  sometimes." 

"No  "replied  Lancelot,  "a  beautiful  gravel  bottom,  with 
swift'ed'dies  and  tuce  whirling  holes;  here  and  there  a  fall  ot 
two  or  three  teet,  and  here  a  glancing  rapid  over  rock  It  .s  the 
branches  overltead  that  bother  Mr.  Robins.  The  brook  is  wholly 
overarched,  and  it  ,-s  ditllcult  to  one  who  is  not  used  to  it. 

"  T  believe  you,  it  is,"  said  Robins.  "  Why,  I  broke  three  ol 
Conroy's  best  tips,  and  carried   away    I   don't  know  how  many 

leaders."  ,, 

"  Ah!  that's  baJ.     liu*  you  got  a  nice  creel-full,  alter  all.    Uo 

vou  use  fly?"  ,,  , 

"  No,  .wr;  I  stick  to  the  good  old-fashioned  worm.      Hut  you 

won't  try  a  glass,  ot  .my  Otard?" 


UNTA/XS 


tain  last  year,  iflU  mi'  tliiii 
not   tiy,  the  trout  art-  very 
iiiL;,  lu)  iloiibt,  to  tlic  \vatirt>  | 
Ir.  Lancflot,  \\\\<\  if  yoii  kuv 
you,  Mr  Robins?" 
ilwatiT  to  your  slierry." 

■ith  nppflile?  Anylxuly  fH" 
\  the  thhig.  Have  you  u 
> 

e  brace  in  tlie  |iool  anil  a 
Cul;ifnuiiua,  ami  1  have  u 
lavin;^  cottoned  an  yet,  exei'|)l 
>ns.  'There  are  some  very 
re,  111  the  tails  of  the  eddies, 
ev  cannot  be  taken  by  bait  at 
;;  and  1  am  not  anxious  to 
Ult  we  two  should  j^o  down 
ash  at  Ihein.  Stony  Mrook 
un  smaller;  a  pound-aiid-a 
is  not  above  three  (juarlers. 
•ning,  up  it." 

nds  in  all,"  said  that  wortny 
and  all  on  tackle." 
asked  Frank.     "They  are  the 

eautiful  gravel  bottom,  with 
)les;  here  and  there  a  fall  of 
ii»  rapid  over  rock.  It  is  the 
Robins.  The  brook  is  wholly 
;  who  is  not  used  to  it." 
ins.  "  Why,  I  broke  three  oi 
ray    I   don't  know  how  many 

a  nice  creel-full,  after  all.    Do 


Id-fashioned  worm.      Hut  you 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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t    I4£    12.0 


1.8 


U    III  1.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


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CIHM/ICMH 

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Collection  de 
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1 


AMONG   THE    MOUXTAJNS. 


91 


"Thank  you.  I'll  pledge  you  in  a  stoup  of  Sir  Lnncelol's 
Bordeaux;  it  used  to  be  wortli  tasting." 

"  It  is  still,  Frank  ;  nearlv  the  last  that  is  left  of  the  old  Sneyd 
and  Barton.      Now,  Master   Scii.io,  what   else  have  you  got  for 

"  Pigeon-p''-'.  ^I'"^^''  Langdale,  and  broil'  ducks.  Mus'  git  on 
ui'  dat  Massa"— turning  a  deprecating  glance  to  Frank.  "  Berry 
little  ga.ne  in  de  woods  now-berry  little   Massa  let  me  kill,  any 

liow." 

"Pigeon-pie  and  broiled  ducks!  I  should  a^  soon  have 
expected   turhot  and    lobster-sauce  or  larded  sweet-breads." 

"  Scipio  has  only  realized  the  poet's  fancy;  '  he  has  found  out 
a  gift  for  his  fair,  he  has  found  where  the  wood-pigeons  breed,'" 
said  Langdale;  "  and,  as  for  the  ducks,  they  are  only  four  ol  a 
brood  of  unfortunate  Happer  sutnmer-ducks,  which  I  came  across 
in  a  little  tarn  in  the  middle  of  a  cranberry  marsh,  which  is,  in 
fact,  the  source  of  the  '  Stony  Brook.'    I  knocked  these  overand  lelt 
a  couple  to  console  the  anxious  mother.     But  Scipio  is  quite  right; 
this  is  the  worst  time  of   the   year  in  wliich  for  me  ;n  entertam; 
for  you  m-.-st  know  we  get   mighty   little  butcher's  meal  here. 
Our  rods  and  guns,  backed   by  the  pork-barrel,  feed  us,  in  the 
main.       A  mouth  or  two  later,  I   could  have  given  you  venison, 
ruffed  grouse,  and,  by  chance,  a  turkey  or  bear- meat.      Now  the 
devil  an  ounce  will  you  get,  unless  it  be  a  venison  or  bear  ham. 
I  believe  I'll    send    Scip.  over  the   hills,  one  of  these   days,  to 
Lanesboro',  to  s.v  if  he  can't  hunt  us  up  a  lamb  or  two." 

"You  havt  a  road,  then,  to  some  civili/ed  resort  of  man.'" 
"  If  you  call  it  a  road.  It  is  the  wildest,  rocky  wood-path, 
impassable  to  anvthing  less  sure-footed  than  a  Pyrenean  mule,  or 
old,  ragged  'Mohawk'  yonder.  It  scales  the  ridge  seven  hundred 
feet  above  this,  crosses  the  head  of  the  Clattering  Creek  on  two 
pine  logs  laid  side  by  side,  threads  an  intricate  cranberry  marsh, 
and  comes  down  a  regular  rock  staircase  into  the  ^u.rge  of  the 
'  Starucca,'  and  so  fifteen  miles  off  into  Lanesboro'." 

"And    this  'Clattering  Creek,'    what  sort  of    water   is  it." 
asked  Frank;  "that  I  may  learn  at  once  the  whole  lay  of  the 

land." 

"  A  real  mountain  burn." 


.1 


92 


AMOm.   THE  MOUNTAINS. 


..  r,n  t..inUi,„or  tryin,  it  myself  -^^^^^^^ ^^ ^, 
..Mr    Lansdale    t.Us   me  it   can  only  lu-  fished   vv.t,    ba   ,  a. 
U.t..Jr.l3e.at.     Besides   there  a.  b,^^fi^.. 

.' Hut  fewer  "  answered   Langdale.     '•  No,  Kobins    i  c 

No,  no,     rLpiic  ^^j^,^^^.  ,,^^. 

^''"■.  W,;X"».1..nS  U  ",  I-.«c=.o.r  ».^e..  l•,■.n..^ 

.,  ,.„„lv  wl...  .hat  c„pl.al  ,por..n,.n,  Col.|..l.oo..  o     1-  • 
a„c'iSu'.,;.  .KC.n.».  booU,,l,.  Moor  and   ,..,=b.  ...-Cr 
title  of  the  Moorburn."  .u„t>" 

"'^i  ...member,"  replied  Frank.     '<  Is  it  as  bad  -  t^     •' 

..  Worse;  but  the  tish  much  larger.      I  have  caught  the...  up 

to  two  pounds."  ,  J  •.  .    me'" 

u  1  should  like  to  hear  about  that.     L  an't  you  -ead  .t  to  me. 
asked  the  Wall-street  man,  eager  for  information^ 

I  I've  no  objection."  said  Langdale,  •'  if  Frank   has  not.      He 
has  read  it  fifty  times  already."  ^.^  ^^.^^ 

.'  I'm   convenient,"  answered   Frank,  laying  uo 
and  fork,  the  last  duck  having  disappeared. 

>.  Well,  then,  here  goes.      Now,  Scp.o   ^o"''  d'^*;;  ^^ 

awav  the  table;  bring  us  our  pipes  and  coffee;  and  then  we 

"^•^d^::r:r^r^C:::S:'aaer  tummg  ov.  a  .w 
question,    with   us   pcig<-  This  done  he  ensconced 

:;irL^?:::r.7.:::n:«o:rLM.,.».™a.a. 

'°"-Tn  mo,,  of  ...=  .n..»  HigWanJ  fur...,  .1.="-  »  •"""•'" 
pass,    The  greater  proportion  of  picturesque 


UNTAlNS. 

(  toinornnv,"  said  Robin-^. 
ly  he  fisheil   with    bait,  and 
ere  are  bigger  fish  in  it.' 
...      '•  No,   Robins,  IM  advise 
n.'ll  try  a  cast  of  the  fly  Willi 

auqua." 

■  indignantly,  "  none  of  your 
But  why  do  you  advise  me 
ees,  bait- fishing  and  big  fish. 

„d  the  most  ditVicult  fishing 

)t.'"  asked  Frank. 

•rtsman,  Colquhoon  of  Kuss, 

,  Moor  and   I-och,  under  the 

"  Is  it  as  bad  as  that.'" 

rer.      I  have  caught  tlie..i  up 


AMON(<    THE  \rOUNTArXS. 


')?, 


at.     Can't  you  read  it  to  me?" 

or  information. 

dale,  "  if  rrank   has  not. 


He 


Frank,  laying  down  his  knife 

appeared. 

kv,  Scipio,  look  alive  and  clear 

sandcoflfee;  and  then  we'll  to 

.reak." 

and,  after  turning  over  a  few 
,  brought  down  the  volume  in 
lined,  and  interlined,  and  filled 
n-es.  This  done,  he  ensconced 
;hrew  on  a  fresh  log,  and  read  as 

,land  burns,  there  is  a  succession 

irapet  of  rock  rising  perpendicu- 

-cely  footing  enough  for  a  dog  to 

picturesque-looking  brethren  ol 


,|,c   angle    uould    almost   start  at  the    idea   of   euntmum-   then 
pasting-    under     such    disadvantages       -riuy    therefore    .nake    a 
,ireuit   and  o.me  down  again  upon  the  burn,   where    .t  is  nu.ie 
easv  to  fish,  .nd  the   ground   le.s   rugged.      The   trout  in  these 
places  are  thus  left  till  many  of  them  grow  large,  and  eaeli  taking 
possession  of  a  favorite   nook,  drives  all   the   smaller  Iry  away. 
■1-he  ditV.cultv  of  reaching   these  places   is,!  admit,  otten   ,i;real 
thean..ler  having  sometimes  to  scramble  up  on    his  hands  and 
knees.'covered  with  wet  moss  or  gravel,  and  then  drag  his  lishmg 
rod  after  him.      These  lyns  should  always   b.    fished   up  stream, 
otherwise  the  mon.ent  vou  appear  at  the  top  of   the  waterlall  o> 
,ock    the   trout  are   very    like   to   see  you,  and   slink    into   their 
hiding-plaee.     The  burn,  however,  must  always  be  low,  as  at  no 
other  time  cat.    vou  distinguish   the   snug   retreat  of  these   httlc 
tvrants,  which  indeed  they  often  leave,  during   the  slightest  fiood, 
in  search  of  prey.      Uv  fishing  up  the  stream,  your  head  will  be 
on  a  level  with  tlie  dilVerent  eddies  and  pools,  as  they  successively 
present  themselves,  and    the   rest    of    your   person   out  ol  sight. 
Hold  the  baited  hook  with   the  left   hand,   jerking  out   the   rod, 
under-handed,  with  your  right,  so  as  to  make   the  bait  (all  sottly 
at   the    lower  end   of   the    pool.      The    trout    always    take    the.r 
station  either  tluMe  or  at  the  top  where  the  water  fiows  in,  ready 
topoun.:e  on  worms,  snails,  slugs,  etc.,  as  they  enter  or  leave  the 
pool      .Should  a  trout  seize  the  bait,  a  little  time  may  be  g.ven  to 
allow  it  to  gorge,  whicl'  •'  will  most  likely  do  without  much  cer- 
emonv.     If  large,  care  mu,.  be  taken  to  prevent  it  trom  gettmg 
to    the    Lop    of    the    lyn,    which    may    probably    harbor    another 
expectant.     The  best  plan  is,  if  possible,  to  persuade  it  to  descend 
into  the  pool  below.     1  laving  deposited  the  half-pounder  in  your 
creel     you    will    now    crawl    upon    hands    and    knees,    just    so 
near  the  top  ol   the  Ivn  as  will  enable  you  to  drop  the  bait  imme- 
diately below  the  bubbling  foam,  nearly  as    favorite  a  station  tor 
an  overgrown,  monopolizing  trout  as  the  other.     Except  in  such 
situations,  the   burn  trout  seldom  exceeds  a  quarter  ol  a  pound 
and  may  be  pulled  o...  with  single  gut,  without  much  risk  of 
breaking  it.      In  these  Ivns,  however,  I  have  occasionally  taken 
them   upward  of  a  pound,  which   is  easily   accounted    for.       As 
soon  as  the  trout  grows   to  a  suflicient  si>ce  to  intimidate   his 


94  A.UONd  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

pi-i„.v  iieiKhbors,  he  falls  back  into  the  best  pool  for  feediiiK,  nol 
.Hxupietl  by  a  ^reakT  giant  tban  himself,  and  as  these  lyns  arc 
almost  alwavs  in  precipices  very  ilirticult  of  access,  he  remains 
undistiirbeiland  alone,  or  with  a  single  companion,  driving  all 
others  away,  until  he  may  at  last  attain  to  a  pound  weight.'  " 

"Now,  I  fear,  brother  angler,  that  you  are  in  some  respect- 
what  the  indefatigable  (Jael  would  call  a  'picturesque  angler';  so 
1  .advise  you  in  good  faith, stick  to  the  'Stony  Brook';  fish  it  IVoni 
the  long  fall  carefully  down.  Scipio  shall  attend  you  with  the 
landing-net  and  plenty  of  worms  and  minnows;  the  last,  hooke.l 
through  the  lip  and  back  tin,  will  do  you  yeoman  service  in  the 
lower  pools;  and  Frank  and  I  will  join  you  in  the  afternoon." 

"  Agreed,"  said  Mr.  Robins;  "  I'll  take  your  advice,  I  believe; 
and  now  I  guess  I'll  turn  in.     (iood  night." 

"  -l-ime,  too,"  said  Frank,  "aughing.  "  He  was  beginning  to  get 
a  little  white  about  the  gills.  Could  that  be  his  old  Ot.ird;  he 
did  not  drink  so  much  of  it." 

'■  Lord  help  you,  no!  he'd  drink  a  gallon  of  itand  no  hurt.  No! 
Bu'  he  will  persist  in  smokmg  Cavendish  tolwcco  and  kinnikin- 
nic,  lu-cause  he  has  seen  me  do  it,  and,  I  believe,  imagines  that 
it  confers  some  special  powers  of  trout-catching.  Bat  come, 
suppose  we  turn  in,  too;  you'll  be  tired  after  your  journey,  and 
a  good  night's  rest  will   give  a  steady  liand  and   clear   eye  to- 

morrow." 

"  I'oloiltirrs." 

.So  thev  incontiiieutly  joined  the  Wall  street  man,  who 
declared,  half  asleep,  that  the  bed  was  not  so  very  bad,  after  all; 
while  Frank,  once  ensconced  in  t!ie  fragrant  sheets,  swore,  by  the 
•neat  god  Fan,  patron  of  hunters,  that  never  had  bed  so  sweet,  so 
soft,  so  warm,  in  every  way  so  excellent,  received  the  limbs  of 
weary  hunter.  And  so,  indeed,  it  proved;  for,  until  Scipio  made 
his  entree,  with  his  announcement,  "Breakfast  soon  he  ready, 
Massa;  sun  he'm  'mose  up  now,"  no  one  stirred  or  spoke  during 
the  livelong  night. 

Thereon  thev  all  turned,  like  the  Iron  Duke,  not  over,  but  out. 
Their  sporting  toilets  were  soon  made ;  but  Frank  and  Lancelot, 
in  their  old  shepherd's  plaid  jackets  and  trews  and  hob-nailed 
fishing  shoes,  could  not  but  exchange  glances  and   smiles  at  the 


elal 

Wlli 

hoc 
the 
col 
del 
grc 
tbi 
Chi 
ha 
tri 
in< 
wc 

bu 
wi 
hii 
fii 
ot 

CO 

th 

bl 
is 
'1' 


t^A^r.i//V.s'. 

he  best  pool  for  feeding;,  not 
nself,  and  as  these  lyns  are 
Vicult  of  access,  he  remains 
n,i;lc  companion,  driving  all 
ain  to  a  pound  weight.'  " 
it  you  are  in  some  respects 
all  a 'pictinesque  angler';  so 
e  'Stony  Hrook' ;  fish  it  IVoni 

0  shall  attend  you  witli  the 
il  minnows;  the  last,  hooke.l 

you  veoman  service  in  the 
oin  you  in  the  afternoon." 
11  take  your  advice,  I  believe; 

night." 
ng.  "He  was  beginning  to  get 
d  that  be   bis  old   Otard ;   be 

1  gallon  of  it  and  no  hurt.    No! 
endish  tobacco  and  kinnikin- 

and,  I  believe,  imagines  that 
f  trout-catching.  Uut  come, 
tired  after  your  journey,  and 
eadv  band  and   clear   eye  to- 


the  Wall  street  man,  who 
was  not  so  very  bad,  after  all; 
J  fragrant  sheets,  swore,  by  the 
that  never  had  bed  so  sweet,  so 
xcellent,  received  the  limbs  of 
proved;  for,  until  Scipio  made 
nt,  "Breakfast  soon  be  ready, 
lo  one  stirred  or  spoke  during 

le  Iron  Duke,  not  over,  but  out. 
lade ;  but  Frank  and  Lancelot, 
ets  and  trews  and  hob-nailed 
nge  glances  and   smiles  at  the 


AMONd  THE  AforXTA/yS. 


')S 


elaborate  rig  of  their  friend,  which  some  IJroadwav  nrtisi  had,  if 
was  evident,  eUiborated  from  a  Parisian  fashionplale-lbe  high 
boots  of  exquisitely  enameled  leather,  the  fine  doeskin  trousers, 
the  manv-iiocketed,  pear-buttoned  M.ooting  jacket  ot  lawn- 
colored  silk  plusb,  tlie  batiste  neckerchief  and  waistcoat,  point 
device,  with  green  and  silver  fishes  embroidered  on  a  blue 
ground,  and,  to  complete  the  whole,  a  cavalier  bat,  in  which,  but 
that  it  lacked  the  king's  black  feather,  Rupert  might  well  bavc 
charged  at  Marston  Moor  or  Naseby.  He  seemed,  however,  so 
bappv,  that  it  would  have  been  as  useless  as  ill  natured  to  indot-- 
trinate  him;  for  evidently,  as  an  angler,  the  man  was  hopelessly 
incurable,  ibougb,  as   Frank   observed,  for  Wall   street,  lie  was 

wonderfully  decent. 

His  weapon  was  a  right  good  Conroy's  general-fishing  roi,, 
but  without  reel,  and  having  its  line,  an  unusually  stout  silk  one, 
with  a  superb  salmon-gu»  nittom,  which  in  good  bands  would 
have  held  a  twenty  pounder,  made  carefully  fast  to  the  top 
funnel ;  eschewing  all  use  of  the  riiig.s  and  destroying  all  chance 
of  the  rod's  reu'ularly  bending  to  its  work.  JJut  again,  to 
counsel  would  but    have    been  to    ollend;    so   our    friends  iield 

their  peace. 

The  smoked  venison  bam,  broiled  troutlings,  dry  toast  and 
black  tea,  which  furnished  their  morning  meal,  were  soon  fin- 
ished;  and  forth  Ibey  went  into  the  delicious,  breezy  air  of  the 
quiet 'summer  morning,  not  a  sound  disturbing  the  solitude, 
except  che  plash  and  rippling  of  the  rapid  waters,  the  low  voices 
of  the  never-silent  pine  tops  and  the  twittering  of  the  swallows, 
as  tbev  skimmed  the  limpid  pool. 

Up  the  gorge  of  the  Stony  Hrook,  followed  by  Scipio,  with 
bait  of  all  kinds  enough  to  have  kept  the  kraken  fat  tor  one  day 
at  least,  a  large  creel  at  his  back  and  gaff  and  landing  net  in  band, 
away  went  St.  Clair  Uobins,  gay  and  joyous  and  confident;  and 
tiien,  but  net  till  then  quoth  Forester— 
"  And  whither  we.'" 

"  To  the  other  side  of  the  pool.      You  may  see  the  big  fisli 

sing  under  the  alders,  there,  in  the  shadow  of  the  big  hill,  from 

this  distance.      That  shadow  will  bang  there  till   noon,  while  al! 

this  side  of  the  basin  will  be  in  blazing  sunshine.     Not  a  fish 


96 


A  MOX(.    Iffli  ^f<^ '  '■'^' '^'^  ^■^^''■ 


..  i„  ,, U.  ,,...,,.,  .arnuun^e.  till  .h..e«'cocUw,U.c   in 
ou.- basket  UK.,v.ith  ,00..   ones,  certa.n.       1  .-e   >-     "^       - 
pool  lies  under  that  rounc.-l.eaded  stone    ,u-  -n   tl,     ta     ot   t 
strong  eddy,  .l.ere  the  'C'lat..  ing  Creek"  e<.,.es„  ,  ,n  th     ,    k 
.a,e'     1  ;..e  l.in.  a  slx,.ounder,  and  have  ;--"->' 
,he  snrinu'.       As  s„„n  as  tin-  sun  turns  vvestvvard,  and  the   hem 
locks'  shadows  cross   the  \vh.te  xvatei,  )(  .„  >r..with  the 

then   vs.Ml   away   to  the   Wall   street    man;'    a.>d  therewith  llu 

.,n,e  .i^her  I  haye  killed  well  with  middle  s.ed  .and,  Uk  ■ 
Hies-  but  mv  favorites,  on  the  whole,  are  all  the  r.d,  blown 
!;;:, ':nd  ;eUow  hacklcs,  and  the  blue  and  yellow  duns      And 

'"^My  .ayorite  of  all  is  a  snipe  aether  and  nun.se  bodv  ;  next  to 
that  the  black  and  the  furnace  hackles." 

.'  And  you  will  use  them  to-da.y?" 

.  ,  ,vill ;  the  snipe  wing  for  my  stretcher.  I  .nean  to  k>ll  tac 
big  chap  with  him  this  eyening." 

•'  V,p  it  so!    to  work.'' 

A  ul    o  »o.k  .1.0V  ......  b....  .l.o,.»l.  ...o..  gU..i-.«  ''"  -1- 

„, :;,  „. .....  ;„ .« ^";r:^^r:::>'^  '::t  1;. 

described    is  as  little   interostmi.;   as   to   cieseiioe 

S  ,  .0  «v,  ,1,...  l.ero..  .1.C  .....  !.».•  »..»»„  .0  >»■"-•-'<': 

the  white  water. 


in 


l„i-L'  o'clock,  while  we'll  fill 
-tain.      T.ie  best  fish  in  the 
tone,  juht  in  the  tail  of  tlu' 
'reek' copies  in,  in  the  broken 
111  have  saved  him  for  you  all 
rn-^  westward,  and  the   hem- 
Ucr,  you  shall  kill  him,  and 
,t    man;"  and  therewith  the 
dleil  ^-ently  over  to  the  shady 
,t  twenty-foot  water,  and  thin, 
reels  t^ecured    and  the  lines 
following  colloiiuy  followed: 
here.  Lancelot?" asked  Frank. 
11,"  answered   Langdale.     "  I" 
vith  middle-sized  gaudy  lake- 
,hole,  are  all    the   red,  brown, 
e  blue  and  yellow  dun.      And 

ather  and  mouse  body  ;  next  to 
kles." 

■?" 
stretcher.      I  mean  to  kill  the 


hough  most  glorious  the  sport 
med   gnostically,  to  read  of  it 

as  to  describe  it  is  difficult, 
un  had  begun  to  turn  westward, 
airly  brought   to  basket  by  our 

a  halfer,  three  two  pounders, 
luler  a  pound-all  smaller  were 

V  tew  so  small  as  lUat,  all  beau- 
-headed,  high  in   color,  prime  i.i 

V  paddled  leisurely  back  to  the 
it  of  bread  and  a  glass  of  sherry, 
hemlock's  shadow  bhould  be  on 


AMOX(.    THE   AfOl  XT.UXS. 


97 


Atthemo.nent.tlKV  wrre    there;  and   1»!    the   big  trout  was 
feeding  fiercilv  on  the  natural  lly. 

-  lie  rea.lyi  frank,  and  when  next  he  rises  droi>  your  lly  nghl 
in  the  middle  of  hi-  bell."'  . 

.'  He  easy,  1  mean  it."       His  line,  as  he  spoke,  was  describing 
,n  easv  eire'le  around  his   head;    the    fish  rose  not.      The  -econd 
r.volu.ion  .ueeeede.!;  the  great  trout  ro.e,  nuss.d  his  objeet,  dis- 
appeared  ;and,<,n  iheinaani,  right  in  the  cen're  of  the  bell,  ere  the 
inm.,s.  circle  had  .ubsuled,  the  ^nipe   feather  fel'   and   lluttered. 
With  an  arr..wv  rush,  the  monster  rose,  and  as  hi.  broad  t„l  -how- 
c.,  abo-e   the  surface,  the  merry  mu  ic  of  the  resonant  click-reel 
told   that  Frank   had   him.     W.W  struck,  he   was   better  played, 
killed  unexeeptionab.N  ;  in  Ihuteeu  minutes  he  lay   tluttering  on 
the  greensward,  lacking  tour  ounces,  a  six  pounder.       1  he  snipe 
feather   and   mouse   body  won  the  day  in  a  canter.      .So  oil  they 
started,  up  the  Stony   I'.rook,  to  admire   the   feats  of  I'.  St.  Clan 
Kobins.     It  was  not  long  ere  they   found   him;    he    had  reached 
the  lower  waters  of  the   brook,  lull   of   beautiful   scours,  eddies, 
whirlpools   and   basins,  and   was  fishing  quietly  down  it,  wadmg 
about  knee  deep,  with  his  bait-he  was  roving  with  a  minnow- 
some  ten  yards  down  the  stream,  playing  naturally  enoug  i  m  the 
clear,  swirling  waters.      Some  trees  on  the  bank    hung    thickly 
over 'his   head;  a  few  yards  behind  him  was  a  pretty  rocky  cas- 
cade    and   above    that   an    open    upland    glade,  lighted    up    by   u 
gleam  of  the  westering  sun ;  and,  altogether,  with  his  gay  garb, 
he  presented   quite   a   picturesque,   if   not   a   very    sportsmarly 

appearance.  , 

"  \fter  all,"   said   Frank,  as,   unseen  themselves,  they    stood 

observing  him.  "he  does  not  do  it  so  very  badly  as  one  might 

have  expected." 

But  before  the  words  had  passed  his  lips,  a  good  hsh,  at  least 
a  pounder,  threw  itself  clear  out  of  the  water  and  seized  his  min- 
now In  a  se  ond,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  by  a  movement 
never  before  se.n  or  contemplated  by  mortal  ..ngler,  he  ran  bis 
right  hand  up  to  the  top  of  t'le  third  joint  of  his  rod,  which  he 
1  -i  perpendicularly  aloft,  and  with  his  left  grasped  his  line 
„ao  length,  and  essaved  to  drag  the  trout  by  main  lorce  out  of 
his  element.    The  tackle  was  stout,  the  stream  strong,  the  bottom 


.iMo.v.  TitK  Morxr.uw 


,.„'.i. .' ""'i "'■" ""'" '"' ■'■ ;:  ,' :, tui. . i «"' 

Ml-  whs  M)')n  li^h<-il  (>"'•  "^'1"  11  •  ,  ,      „  ,„. 

,,-?:;::C::;;r:.;,.;-»-|^-:;'--;;. 

U..V  saia,  ana  how.  in  the  end.  Uk,  M- ;  '     '  ,,^,   ^, 

,,,„„„.ous  puhlic,  in  the  Masa.-.ncot  G..iham. 


Ill 


any  one  c<;iiia  Hi-e  liow  it  xmi- 
e  line  parted,  Hio  roil  na-lRHl 
L-  next  fall  with  a  joyou-  Hi'  I 
eHH  tislu-rman— ineaMiieil  lu- 
ic  Stonv  Brook, 
i-cl  it.  a'rv  riKKiiiK.  eomlorud 
,K..iac ;    l)v.t  lie  ^vouUl  not  W 
tlK-    IbllowiiiK   iii"'"'"«'  ""''• 
„n's  Cabin  UcliclJ  him  never 

,wthev  fol.eil  the  Clatlei  in- 
,  anil  whirlpools  of  the  C.ila^a 
e  broa.l  reaches  of  the  Dela- 
t;  anil  how  they  feil  anil  what 
,Jv  speil,  is  it  not  written  in  the 
appear,  wheti  calleil  for  by  a 
.-  of  Graham? 


A  liL.  VAE  A  T  JiA  /CA'BCiA  T. 


I  Ti.  a  will'  .hive  frotn  Key  I'ort, -m  New  York  I?ay,  through 
I  the  L'reat  pine  v.oo.is  of  New  jersey,  to  llarneuat ;  at.il  we  were, 
„„  the  whole,  a  wililish  partv  who  set  ont  on  it  on  a  dark  Oecenv 
,,er  niKht  of  tS,.,  after  the  sun  had  set.  Two  wagons,  w.th 
brisk  teiuns  am)  roHiekh,-  drivers,  carried  us,  our  traps,  our 
,,rovetuler,  and,  last  bnt   not   least,  our   heavy  Butts  and   atntnu- 

""'lollv  'Lishe  •!■ u,  mine  host  ..ahe  old  Paviliot, -..ever  was 

„.,"re  a  better  heart,  seldotn  a  belte,    shot  than   thou   wert,  Rood 

-,  i,ht^    T ti!      Manv  a  day's  fun  have  we  had  in  i^ood  old 

limes,  tnanv  a  ni-hfs  frolic,  but  shall  ttever  have  any  tnore;  lor 
tbat  war.ni.earl  is  cold,  and  thou  art  ^one  where,  at  least,  there 
is  no  more  shooting  Hut  not  the  less  for  the  ll,oui;ht  ot  what 
should  or  miKht  be,  were  we  on  that  ni«ht  ,ay  and  joyous;  these 

.„„,    isiii  T r.  and  one  more  who  shall   he   nameless,  for  he 

"is-worse  than  dead-altered,  estranged,  a  living  friend  no  longer 
At  Monmouth  we  stopped,  bailed  our  t.ags  with  that  tnnst 
ran,ous  of  all  veterans  of  the  turf,  Uncle  Tom  Laird,  and  moder- 
atelv  liiiuored  with  our  friend  Gentleman  joev,  the  p.lot  <^  the 
nnrivalLl  Fashion  ;-then  on,  on  again,  through  '•-  '  ""  «hnd- 
and  the  tall  pines,  onward-until  toward  morning,  cold,  ch.llei  ,. 
the  bone,  vawning,  half  asleep,  half  awake,  we  stopped  tn  he 
verv  heart'of  the  pines,  at  a  low-browed  ways.de  hostelry,  w.th  a 
large  pair  of  stag  antlers  above  the  door,  and  there  warmed  our 

NoTK.-w,-e,.  s swan  -f;,;-;-:; -t:,;' :'";:,ir:::::;;;: 

he,:  tJe'      vc  named.      '•  The   Spirif  and  its  Eait,,--,'  ...d  ■•  A  Day  w,th  t^,c 
r.i.>.aUe.ncapa,.■^.,...r..lathe^C.^^^^^^ 

::tr::.';^:::^arr3r;.  .i^^i.i..  ^..  "--pe-  e.cet.e. 

little  worl<,  '•  UoK  and  Gv.n."-KDiTo... 


.1   HL.\/.i:  A  J    liA/yMH.M  ■ 


(till 

fvlcrior,  ami  ifjitii-cil  our  intirior  lunn  with  iDpioii-  liliations  i>i 
hot  spiiiil  nini,  'iv  »>uc-h  a  tin'  an  (lopDiiciil  lu-ver  >-rtw,  -nvi'  in 
Ihi'     |>iiu>    wodils   .,1     NfW  Ji'isi'v,   or    III    th.'   liaikwooil-    of   tin 

l'l'Mol)'*C(lt, 

Dawn  toiiiui  ii-  al  Toin'h  Uivor,  anil  tlii'ii,  whili'lhc  ii'>t  of  111' 
p.iitv  ifvi'lli'd  in  yin  I'oiktaiU,  liic  iiairator  snoozi'il  liixuriantiN 
in  a  soft-arimil  ihaii  until  l)iiMkf.i»t  was  on  llio  tahk',  nor-a. 
some  of  thr  i-oiiipnnv  avci  roil— fairly  awoUc  IIkii.  I"oi  it  is  on 
ri'i-oril  that  ii  portion  of  tlu-  ri'past— ami  it  was  a  >,'ooil  om,  anl 
iiistii-f  was  ilone  to  it— coiisislini,'  of  saiisai,'i-  moat,  artfiil'v 
sliapiii  into  Hat  laki'h,  fasliioniHl  liki'  pork-fhops,  wilh  sonim-nls 
of  hoiii'  altathuil- -111',  the  narrator,  i'rank.  altor  liMisnniiir^  si\ 
ami  lH)lilin«  out  his  plah-  for  llio  si'vmith,  tiuiilly  ninarkuil  thai 
poik  was  vorv  tiiiiliT  at  rom's  Kivor— no  pork  heinj;  to  the  fonv 
Ho  that  as  it  may,  ho  woko  hclbrc  thov  roaohoil  HarnoKat  viUano, 
at  noon,  ami  tolil  ami  listonoil  to  honio  passahly  «ooil  yarns, 
iliM  ini;  Iho  I  iilo  ami  lUiriiiK  tho  nin  across  the  bay  to  I'orrino's 
.Shocilor's  Parailiso^-anil,  as  it  aftorwaril  appoaroil,  a  jjontool  suiii- 
nior  waloriiiLjplaoo  for  Now  Jersey  fashion  ami  hoauly,  iliniiiH 
tho  hathiiii;  isoaKon,— in  a  last-KuilinB,  hloop-ri^jijeil  sail  boat. 

Tho  mansion  stands  on  a  bleak,  barren  saml  bank,  beiiiK  the 
luaoh  helweoii  the  ocean  surf  and  the  famous  Hay  of  Barnegat— 
not  a  tii'o  ooulil  exist  on  it,  not  a  brush,  not  a  thistle,  nothinf;  hiii 
salt  rib-f<rass,  musquitocs,  tiddler-crabs  and  sandpipers.  Yet  a 
fashionable  waterin<;-place  it  is  and  shall  bo,  as  aforesaid,  for  the 
brave  and  lair  of  the  jerseys.  Tliis  fact  was  discovered,  and 
now  duly  recorded  for  tho  first  time,  by  Frank  Forester,  tinis: 
When  that  worthy,  havini,'  tinished  his  supper  ami  his  pipe, 
having  selecteil  his  boatman,  the  redoubted  Jesse  .Sprag^s,  seen 
to  his  f;uns  and  amiiumitioii.  tilled  shot  pouches,  powder-horns, 
provision-baskets  and  liquor  flasks,  as  the  law  directs,  was  on  his 
way  to  his  dormitory,  bo  observed  chalked  on  the  door  thereof,  in 
white  char.tctors  of  a  loot  long,  these  hieroglyphics  : 

4  .S  t  A  G  s— 

\\  horeat,  being  of  an  enquiring  mind,  he  demanded  an  expla 
nation  of   the  chamber-/w>'— for  the  maid  was  in  this  instance 
represented  by  a  tow-headed,  brown- visaged,   guernsey-shirted, 


ler 

hi'l 
lioi 


oh 
wi 

an 
kn 
thi 
im 
oh 

an 
hi 
I.i 
II; 

foi 
wi 
fu 
th 
of 
th 
Fi 
th 
y;i 
sv 
tk 
di 
le 

ol 
w 

It 

OI 


l/i'V/t'-.l /. 

inn  with  i.-opiini^  liliations  ol 
li'poncnt  never  i-rtw,  cave  in 
r    111    tlio   1);u4>\v<)ihI'>    dI'   iIh 

itul  tlicn,  while  Uu-  ii'>t  «>!'  Ihi' 
iiinriitor  Mioozi'il  liixuriiintlv 
t  wii".  nil  IIh'  tahio,  nor— a- 
Iv  iiwolM'  Ihin.  l"i)i'  it  i"  >'ii 
-anil  it  was  a  jjooil  oiu',  aril 
;  of  saii--ai,'f  moat,  aitl'iil'v 
L'  poi  k-('hi)p>,  with  M'^mi'iiK 

I'rank.  alUT  iDTiMiniin'^  si\. 
'VL'iith,  quiilly  riinarkeil  thai 
■r — ill)  piifk  heinj;  to  the  lore 
ifv  nachiil  narni'^at  villam', 

Minii'  |>assal)ly  yooil  yarn'-, 
1  aiioss  the  buy  to  PcniniV 
kaiii  apjifarcd,  a  {^cnti'cl  Min\- 
y  lasliion  anil  beauty,  duriiin 
j4,  hloop-ri^'s^eil  *ail  boat. 
,  barren  Kami  bank,  i)eiii)f  the 
he  famous  Hay  ol'  Harnej;at— 
iisl),  not  a  thistle,  nolliiiif;  hui 
rabs  anil  sandpipers.     Yet  a 

siiall  be,  as  aforesaid,  for  the 
'Ills  fact  was  discovered,  ami 
ne,  by  l''rank  l^'orester,  thus: 
leil  bis  supper  and  bis  pipe, 
edoubted  Jesse  Sprag^s,  seen 
1  shot  pouches,  powder-horns, 
as  the  law  directs,  was  on  bis 
L-halked  on  the  door  thereof,  in 
se  hieroglyphics  ; 


mind,  he  demanded  an  expla 
he  maid  was  in  this  instance 
wn-visaged,   guernsey-shirted, 


.1   Hl..\/I-.     1/    l{MiXK(,.\T 


lot 


ten-booted  urchin  of  thirteen  or  fourteen  vear».  The  intellim'iil 
being  turned  on  hi-,  heel  and  pointed  to  the  opposite  door,  uliiili 
bore  the  eoi  re-ponding  inscription  ; 

4  \Vi  M  m  I  Ng    I   ol  K  .S,— 

observed,  with  an  astute  grin,  "  We  keeps  'um  apart,  you  see, 
with  sepiit  bathin'  rooms,  the  gals  in  here, aiul  the  -tags  In  Ihar." 

From  which  Frank  liist  discoveied  that  in  South  jersey  all 
animals  of  the  male  Rex,  ipiailruped  or  biped,  are  promiscuously 
known  as  sfdjrs;  and  Becoiully,  that  in  the  same  literuiy  region, 
the  symbol  "4"  does  not  represent,  as  i-  elsewhere  vainly  imag 
ini'd,  the  I'ourth  numeral,  but  the  preposition  governing  the 
objective  case. 

lie  made  no  reply,  but  ensconced  himself  in  the  bedclothes 
and  slept  until  three  o'clock  iii  the  morning,  when,  after  a 
hurried   breakfast,  they    were   oil"     to    the    bay,    in    two    squads. 

Lishe  T 11    and    Hill     T r,  with    two    baymen,   I'our    Egg 

Harbor  pig-boats,  and  any  given  quantity  of  stooN,  nuule  tracks 
for  I.ovelady's  Island,  near  the  outer  or  upper  inlet,  and  I'rank, 
with  his  partner,  Jesse  Spraggs,  and  Jim  Oakley,  proceeded 
further  down  the  bay  to  the  westward,  wiiere  they  enscoiu'ed 
their  pig-boxes  in  a  contiguous  concave  arc,  in  the  slips  dug  out 
of  the  lee  side  of  a  sedge  hassock,  in  the  following  order:  To 
the  extreme  left,  or  windward,  lay  Jim  Oakley;  next  to  him 
Frank's  partner;  then  Frank;  and  last,  not  least,  to  the  leeward, 
the  mighty  Jesse  Spraggs;  while  without  them,  at  about  eighteen 
vards  distance,  rode  bol)bing  and  ducking  at  their  anchors,  a-,  the 
swell  lifted  them  and  now  and  again  broke  over  them,  a  whole 
flock  of  wild  geese— brant,  broad-bills,  red-beads,  black  ducks, 
dippers  and  the  like,  deftly  carved  in  wood  and  balanced  with 
lead,  so  as  to  skim  the  water  duck- like. 

It  was  deathly  cold,  and  deathly  silent,  too,  all  save  the  whistle 
of  the  wind  overhead — for  it  blew  great  guns  froin  the  northeast- 
ward— and  an  occasional  flap  of  the  wild  waves  against  the  shore. 
It  was  not  yet  sunrise,  although  the  skies  were  beginning  to  put 
on  a  paly  yellow— and  it  was  dead  low  water. 

.Smoking  was  strictly  prohibited,  motion  no  less  so — saving  to 
Jesse  Spraggs  alone,  captain   and    lookout-man   at  once  of  the 


J 


,0j  A  liLAZE  AT  BARN  EG  AT. 

con^pany.      Ther-.bre,  as  closelv  as  might  be  under  the  circum 
stances,  we  .nuggled  ourselve.  down,  each  nUo  h,s  own  pecu 
pig.box,  atop  of  the  salt  hay  wh.ch  made  our  beds  and  undo  th. 
drab.colored  oiled-cloth   and    sedge  which  covered   our  decks- 
needful  concealment  against  the  keen  oyes  oi   the  fowl,  untd  tin 
Lord  and  the  turn  of  the  tide   should   give  us  luck,  and   Jess. 

.Spraegs  the  signal. 

To   tl-se   who  know  the  trick,  we  speak   not,  but  to  those 
who  Co  not,  a  word  is  needed:    therefore,  in  season,  it  shall  be 

'"'re    modu.  operand   is   this:    Tl>e  boat   lies,  with  the  head 
sligh>'v  elevated  and  inland,  stern  to  the  bay  and  the  decoys.      n 
the  boat  ti..  shooter  lies  feet  to  the  stern,  flat  on  his  back,  w.tb 
,,is  jun  han.lv  to  his  grasp,  ready  to  spring  to  a  sitting   posture 
and  let  dnve'so  soon  as  the  fowl,  coming  down  before  the  wmd, 
„.  the  mounting  tide  overflows  their  feeding-places,  and  forces 
them  to  change  their  ground,  espy  his  stools  and  e.ther  hoNU 
over  them  or  alight  among  them.      On,-  thing  n,ore  remams  to 
be    stated-when    the    fowl,  skating    before    the  w,nd,  enter  the 
defile,  or  run,  as  it  might  be  called,  the  gauntlet,  between  a  hue  o 
boats,  stranded  as  ours  were  on  that  mornmg,  and  the  fleet  o 
decoys,  it  is  absolutely  a  rule  that  not  a  shot  must  be  fired  unt.l 
the  headmost  bird  has  crossed  the  leeward  shooter,  and  he  has 
t;iv.n  the  signa-  for  the  volley  by  his  .,penmg  shot. 

On  this  eventful  morning,  all  the  company,  except  I'rank, 
shot  each  svith  a  heavy,  double-barreled,  fourteen-pound  ten- 
gauged  gun.  He,  with  two  sixteen-pound  single-barrels,  of  five 
Lrl  carrving  each  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  BB;  .-l-reiore  they 
laughed  at  him  in  the  beginning-who  laughed  m  the  end  this 

historv  relateth.  , 

A^on,  the  sky  grew  amber,  roseate,  red;   the  sun  ros     fi  ry 
the  wind  rose  with  him.      it  grew   colder.      I^  rom  t.me  to  t.me 
the  noisy,  oft.repealed  cry,  ou-ou-otherly,  otherly!   ou-ou-otherly 
\tHerly,  ^t,.ri/o.ouf   from  a  distance,  told   where  a  flock  o 
long-tailed  ducks,  the  old  wives  of  the  Jersey  shore,  were  at  h.gh 
jinks;  but  who  cares  for  them? 


I 


BARNEGAT. 

IS  might  be  under  the  circuni- 
wn,  each  into  his  own  peculiar 
li  tnatle  our  lieds,  and  under  tlu> 
jre  wliicli  covered  our  declis— 
keen  eves  of  the  fowl,  until  tlu' 
ihould  give  us  luck,  and  Jesse 

•k,  we  speak   not,  but  to  those 
therefore,  in  season,  it  shall  be 

:    Tlie   boat   lies,  with  the  head 
n  to  the  bay  and  the  decoys.    In 
the  stern,  flat  on  his  back,  willi 
y  to  spring  to  a  sitting   posture 
1,  coming  down  before  the  wind, 
;  their  feeding-places,  and  forces 
;spy  his  stools  and  either  ho\er 
n.      Oii.'  thing  more  remains  to 
iting    before    the  wind,  enter  the 
led,  the  gauntlet,  between  a  line  of 
n  that  morning,  and  the  fleet  ol 
at  not  a  shot  must  be  fired  until 
1  the  leeward  shooter,  and  he  has 
[)y  his  i.,pening  shot, 
all   the  company,  except  Frank, 
ble-barreled,  fourteen-pound,  ten- 
xteen-pound  single-barrels,  of  five 
)f  a  pound  of  BB;  wherefore  they 
„g_vvho  laughed  in  the  end  this 

.roseate,  red;  the  sun  rose  fiery, 
;rew  colder.  From  time  to  time 
'■ou-otheyly,  otherly!  ou-ouotherly ! 
a  distance,  told  where  a  flock  of 
;s  of  the  Jersey  shore,  were  at  high 
1? 


A  BLAZE  AT   HAi      EC  AT. 


10% 


Once,  crc-iuinhcrc-cr,'-<innk-aunk-crcr,  a  gaggle  i  brani 
massed  us  wild  and  high,  but  nought  came  near  our  stools.  Noon 
was  appr<jaching  and  not  a  shot.  We  ate  hard-boiled  eggs,  we 
.jHnUficd,  as  Jesse  calls  it— we  grew  sulky,  desperate. 

"Down'  every  mother's  son  of  you,"  came  Jesse's  hoarse 
whisper,  -Close't  for  the  lives  of  you-aunk-aunk-aunke-e- 
aunk!"  And  far  to  the  windward,  out  of  the  clouds,  came  a 
faint  "  rcmmk  "  in  answer.  Nearer  and  nearer  it  came  still,  as 
Jesse  Almost  rived  his  throat  will,  the  damor-nearer  and 
quicker,  and  more  evidently  responsive. 

Now  it  was  like  a  pack  of  hounds  in  full   cry-now  we  could 
hear  the  mighty  sweep  of  their  ei.cling  pinions— and   now   their 
crowded  phalanx  drove  into  the   perilous  defile,  sweeping  right 
along  over  our  decoys.  That  morning,  like  Nelson's  crew  atTralal 
gar,  every  man  did  his  duty,  not  a  head  was  raised,  not  a  trigger 
drawn  until  the  leading  gander  sailed  past  Jesse  Spraggs,  and  seem- 
ed doubtful  whether  to  circle  or  alight.    "  Aunk-aunk-e-aunk !  "    It 
was  his  last  honk  in  this  world,  for  Jesse's  concentrated  charge  struck 
him  under  the  pinion  and  he  went  down  at  a  long  tangent,  not 
striking  the  water  within  a  hundred  yards,  and  then  throwing  up 
the  spray  as  if  a  stone  had  cleft  it.     Two  geese  feli  to  his  second 
barrel.      Then  up  sprang  Frank,  and  up  went  his   first   single- 
barrel— a  flash— a  roar!    the  air  was  full  of   feathers  and  falling 
geese— five  coming  down  instantly  killed,  to  the  shot.     Before  he 
got  up  his  second,  something  the   heaviest  piece,  his  partner  and 
Jim  Oakley  got  in  three  barrels,  one  of  Jim's  missing,  and   three 
geese  told  that  their  light  pieces  were  aimed  truly.      But  now 
Frank  had  seized  his  second,  and  at  the  very  moment,  tor  con- 
fused  by   the   close  reports,  lots  of  them  wounded,  and  bothered 
with  their  falling  kindred,  the  flock  were  twirling  upward,  in  a 
great  spiral  cloud,  like  a  waterspout— his  shot  could  not  but  rake 

them. 

Ba-a-ng!  and  the  distant  hills  re-bellowed  to  the  roar,  and 
Frank,  knocked  clear  out  of  his  pigbox,  was  landed  high  and  dry 
on  the  sand-bank,  but  little  cared  he  for  that;  for  ere  he  keeled 
over,  he  saw  the  air  filled  with  birds  and  a  smoke  of  feathers, 


A   lil.A'/.E  A"-  RAJ{\E(iAT. 


to4 

.„„  „  he  Wo„gh.  „„  ■«  »  *«"S  I---  '■»  '■"">  J""=''  ■""""■ 

snow  them,  indcocl,  to.  l  .aiK  ^^  ^^^^ 

birds,  and  six  more  IVII  to  the  o.hcMs.     Such  sv. 

HT.AZK  at    BARNI-'iAT' 


BAHNEGAT. 

osture  he  hoard  Jesse's  joyous 


joses ! 


ail 


d  it  did  well  nigh 
o  barrels  brought  down  twelve 
,,s.    Such  %v., -the  result  olim 


THE  AMERICAN  BirTERN. 


IN  the  old  days  of  chivalry  and  knighthood,  wiien  the  glory  of 
1  falconrv  liad  not  yet  faded  from  earth,  like  several  of  hir- 
congeners.'the heron,  especially,  and  the  curlew,  which,  according 
to  tlie  old  rhyme, 

'•  Be  she  wliite  or  be  slie  black. 
Carries  twolvepence  mi  lier  back"'— 

an  enormous  price  at  a  time  when  a  sixpence  was  the  value  ol 
a  fat  wether  >heep,— tiie  bittern  stood  high,  if  not  highest,  in  the 
estiniiitiou  both  of  the  epicure  and  the  gentle  falconer. 

Loud  was  the  dierry  whoop,  and  heartfelt  the  gratulation, 
when  from  some  reed  bed  in  the  oozy  meadow,  beside  the  silver- 
winding  Trent  or  royal- towered  Tliames,  flushed  by  the  yelping 
spaniels,  the  long-necked  hermit  fisher  would  display  his  broad 
vans,  mottled  like  the  richest  tortoise-shell,  with  bands  and  wavy 
lines  and  variegated  blotches  of  black  and  chocolate  brown,  and 
bright  ferruginous  and  cinereous  gray,  and  yellow  ochre;  and 
stretching  his  long  green  legs  far  behind  him,  soar  with  his  harsh, 
discordant,  clanging  cry,  into  the  empyrean,  a  worthy  quarry  for 
the  bravest  hawk  that  ever  fleshed  his  singles  in  the  fowl  of  game, 
and  one  to  test  his  power  of  wing,  his  valiant  courage,  were  he 
the  bravest  peregrine  that  ever  built  his  eyrie  amid  the  rocky 
fastnesses  of  I  Icy,  or  the  bes^  jerfalcon  that  was  ever  brought 
from  Norroway,  to  minister  to  the  sports  of  cb.ivalry  and  beauty. 
Loud  was  the  clank  of  flagon  and  of  beaker,  and  prodigal  the 
red  wine  flowed,  when  at  high  noon,  where  peers  and  paladins 
and  princes  feasted,  even  at  Arthur's  table  round,  where  Lancelo 
de    Lac   looked   love   into   the    sympathizing   eyes   of   peerless 


THE  AMERICAN  HITTER X- 

themselves 

-  p  „pry«s  of  cruit  pill' ami  mnmot." 

.,„,  ca-  ..«■..■  ,.U.<.BC.  down,  ^^^  "'-  -»""  "'■'°"    •"'■ 

,,.  fallen,  to.-  the  most  part  into  d>-P"  ^  ^,^^,„_  ,,,  ,,„ 

snipe  and  wo.dcock  "'  ''  =^      °  Ln    treams  and  rivulets,  which 
penetrable  mar,.ns  otthunir  .en  ^^^^^^^  ^^^^^^    ^^^, 

remain  open  all  the  ^v.nte,    '""-  produces,  with  a  grin  ol 

there  is  rejoieing  when  the  ^-^-^^  ?    J^^.  .    i„,„n,inently 
„,„,,,„,  the  far.ta.ned  .'hog-bumper       an    h  .^^^^  ^ 

.manufactured,  with  other  ^^^"^^^^^  ,,  p„rposelv 
.igh,,past,.manducatedbyapp.c^-.^^^^   ^^J^^^    ^^ 

invited  guests,  and  washed    down   bv    api      i 

Heaune  or  Clos  N^^ugeot  ^^^   ^^^^^^^^^^^  ^^.^  ^^^,^ 

,,  .^n  o-cene  and  d.gustmg^p^.a.on.  .t  .  ^^^^^^^      ^ 
and  wantonly  by  the  tow  le. ,  i  reason-and 

ilis  then  cast  awax.  like  tnc  ^^.^^^  ^^^, 

who  .>as  the  rare  judgment  to  --^  ;";';,,'  'wfne,  and  lime- 
eaten,  like  wild  fowl,  with  cayenn    pePP    ;P  ^^^  ;^^  ^^,^^,^ 

.,f  the  .^.««.'     ""'.;;;„;,,  "  r*;  choice  dainty,  and  to  luxuriate 
clergyman  on  his  siOeDoam,  j» 

in  ,1,'c  .kllglils  of  (o»4'-#>S-*  ,     |„  followed 

„,„„„  .„o„U„g  can  -™'^;;,;j;;"L  ..«:  a.  aroce...d, 

rcor::,r ":"»:::.:  ■.pe»w.»i  n^™™.,.. ...  o„, 

*  Cannibal  for  hunmn  flesh. 


i..l;l 
ext 

she 
rui 

loll 
Ian 

Mil 

;is 
pu 
II  u 
he 
an 
ce 
fo' 
thi 
of 
lie 
Kr 

\Vl 
es 
ar 
til 
th 

In 
w 

til 
yi 
tl 
o 

Cl 

ai 

ai 
g 


N  lilTTERN 

peacock,  cy>.ncl  and    v.nisnn. 
.e,  and  valiant  kniylUs  took  on 


pith  ami  moment," 

ighling  tbeir  vows  bcroro    '  St. 

ic--." 

r  lirstratc  dainty  and  delicacy. 
,is  congener.  tl>e  heron-though 
V  wise  and  judicious  f;otiymrt^- 
)  disrepute. 

i.-time  especially,  when,  like  tl.e 
,ntry,  the  bittern  feeds  along  the 
:„en  streams  and  rivulets,  which 
n.'  and  becomes  extremely  tat, 
eTkeeper  produces,  with  a  grin  ot 
umper";  and  he  is  incontinently 
edients  known  to  the  wise,  into  a 
pprocialive  grinders  of  purposely 
own  by   appropriate   libations    ol 

o  sav  wherefore,  this  fine  bird  is 
,just'prej"dice;itisknowngener. 
,g  appellation;  it  is  shot  mercilessly 
he  meets  it  in  the  marshes.  I  say 
or  object  of  utility  or  reason-and 
vilest  carrion;  and  the  sportsmen 
to  insist  on  its  being  cooked  and 
venne  pepper,  port  wine,  and  hme- 
",eeder,atleast,ifnotasthevar.ety 

mposed  habitually  to  keep  a  cold 
,s  a  choice  dainty,  and  to  luxuriate 

elv,  as  a  general  rule,  be  followed 
;,  for,  although  the  bird,  as  aforesaid, 
ally  speaking,  numerous;  the  only 


THE  A.ME/ifCAiV  RlTTF.liX. 


wj 


exception  to  thi^  iiile  l)eing,  in  -'>  lar  a>  I  know,  the  marsh 
islands  in  the  great  MHith  hay  of  Lung  l>hiiul,  wlieie  it  is 
extremel}  ahiuidant. 

In  these  liassocks,  as  tluy  are  often  called,  it  is  not  easy  to 
shoot  them,  as  they  will  not  readily  or  willingly  take  wing, 
running  with  great  speed  in  a  crouching  posture  among  the 
long  coarse  .t^rass,  and  not  exposing  any  portion  of  tlieir  long 
lanky  forms  to  the  aim  of  the  gunner. 

At  any  high  tides,  however,  when  tliese  island  meadows  are 
submerged,  tliey  may  be  successfully  hunted,  in  the  same  manner 
as  tile  great  clapper-rail,  or  big  meadow  hen,  by  means  of  boats 
pulled  or,  in  very  shoal  water,  shoved  with  pushing  poles  over  the 
Hats,     liefore  these  they   cannot  avoid  rising,  and  as  they  do  so, 
heavily,  with  a  slow  and  laborious  Happing,  they  present  an  easy 
and   obvious  mark,  even  to  tyros;  and  by  good  marksmen  arc 
certainly   slaughtered    with    No.    ^   or   5   shot,   iVom  an   ordinary 
Ibwling-picce.      At  the  Hivicyc  aiix  Cniniids,  in  Ipper  Canada,  or 
the  Newark  .Salt  Meadows,  and  in  the  marshes  along  the  margins 
of  the  ll.ickensac  river,  as  also,  in   former  times,  at  the  p:nglish 
neighborhood,   1   have   occasionally   had    good  sport    with    these 
great    aquatic    birds,    while    in    pursuit   of  English  snipe;  but  it 
would  scarcely  pay,  even   in  these  favored   localities,  to  go  out 
especially  bittein-shooting.     They  will  lie  well  to  setters,  which 
arc  used  to  point  them   steadily,  and    springers  give  tongue   to 
them  keenly,  and  Ihish  them  with  ardor;  these  two  fads  marking 
them  as  legitimately  gamr. 

The  bittern  is  a  very  beautiful  bird,  about  twenty-seven  inches 
in  length,  by  three  feet  four  inches  in  extent  from  tip  of  wing  to 
wing;  its  upper  parts  are  beautifully  mottled  and  variegated,  like 
the  finest  tortoise-shell;  its  under  parts  are  of  a  pale,  ochreous 
yellow,  streaked,  especially  on  the  long  feathers  in  the  front  of 
the  neck,  with  longitudinal  black  lines.  It  has  a  pendulous  crest, 
on  the  nape  of  the  neck,  which,  when  wounded  or  irritated,  it. 
erects  fiercely ;  its  eyes  are  of  a  clear,  fierce  golden  hue,  almost 
as  bright  and  dauntless  as  those  of  the  eagle ;  its  legs  are  yellowish 
u'leen;  the  toes  armed  with  long  pectinated  claws,  which  our 
ancestors,  in  their  wisdom,  were  wont  to  carry,  when  they  could 
get  them,  in  their  w.iistcoat  pockets,  as  a  specific  and  antidote 


THE  AMERICAN  HITTBRN. 

.     ,    ,.,,„,u.m   ,vhcn  shooting  in  the  aguish  n,arshesw.mh 

^^^o....^^^^^J^^^^^^Z  savo.,    when    .at  a,. 

hoUl   a,ul   brave  as   he  ..       -"  ^^_  ^^^^    ^^^^^^  ^^._^  , 

MHokins   o,.  the  boarc.     Hence  1  ^^^^^^.^^  ,^^.  ..  ,,^,^ 

c.„;  ana    nevev  P-\'-"   ::'^;.jt I    rfight  to  the  last  a,ai,H 

,,„,m.-cl  off  his  mortal  co.l    '^ }°' ^\'\^^^\^,^  and  .trong,  ana 

,nan,aog,  or  devil;  anU  h.s  beak  .both  P      ^^^^   ^^^^.^^^^^ 

strikes   like   a    Moorish    assagay    at   .he      > 

Hence  I  avoid  hinv     Verhum  sap. 


■m 


i. 


ng  in  the  auuish  marshes  wlmh 

nd  his  home. 

anclsomest   -rci    noblest   o.   I h. 
lovely  snow-vnite  egret,  and  lb- 
rlet  ibis,  of  the  south;  and  V  .^ 
.lent   and  savory    when    lat  an 
1  invariably  shoot  him  when  1 
till    1    am  well  assured  he  "  has 
,r  he  will  figl>t  to  the  last  aga.uM 
ak  is  both  sharp  and  strong,  an.l 
,y   at   the    eye   of  the   assailani 


TJIE    DEATH    OF    THE    STAG 


OR, 


THE  TAI.UOTS  IN  TEVIOTDALE. 


The  stag  at  tvc  had  ilrimk  his  till. 
VVIiere  danced  the  moon  on  Monan's  rill, 
And  deep  his  midnight  lair  had  niad« 
In  lone  (Jlenartney's  hazel  shade: 
llut  when  the  sun  his  hi;acnn  led 
Had  kindled  on  Benvoirlieh's  head. 
The  hlood-hnund's  deep  resounding  hay 
Came  swelling  up  the  rocky  way. 

— I.ADY  OF  THE  Lake. 


''pAYIlO!    Tayho!"* 


And  straightway  to  the  cry  responded  the  long-drawn 
mellow  notes  of  the  huge  French  horns  which  were  in  those  d-iys 
used  bv  every  yoeman  pricker,  as  the  peculiar  and  time  honored 
instrument  of  the  stag-hunt,  the  mots  of  which  were  as  familiar 
to  every  hunter's  ear  as  so  many  spoken  words  of  his  vernac 

ular. 

It  was  the  gray  dawn  of  a  lovely  summer  morning  in  the 
latter  part  of  July,  and  although  the  moorcocks  were  crowing 
sharp  and  shrill  from  every  rocky  knoll  or  purple  eminence  of 
the  wild  moors,  now  waving  far  and  wide  with  the  redolent  luxu- 
riance of  their  amahyst  g.irniture,  for  the  heather  was  in  its  full 

~<^Tayho"  is  the  technical  hunting  halloa  when  a  stag  has  broken  cover,  as 
is  ••  Talliho  I "  the  corresponding  cry  lor  the  fox.  Both  words  are  corruptions 
Irom  the  French  '^Taillis Hon!"  "Outot  thethicket."  French  being  used 
to  a  very  late  day  as  the  especial  language  ot  the  chase. 


no 


THE  l-tRATII  OF  THE  SIM,. 


flush  of  bloom;  although  the  thrixh  and  IjJack-birds  wure  carol- 
ing in  emulous  jov,  at  the  very  top  of  their  voices,  from  everv 
brake  and  thicket  which  feathered  the  wild  banks  of  tiie  hil 
burns,  the  sun  had  not  lifted  a  portion  of  his  disc  above  thehu,L;e, 
roundtoppi-'il  fells  which  formed  the  hori/on  to  the  north  and 
'vestwari!  of  inj  scene.     'I'liat  scene  \vas  t'le  slope  of  a  long  liill— 

"  A  (tent''"  ''"'• 
fJreen  an<l  nf  mild  declivity— tlu'  last. 
As  't  WLTC  tlu'  cape  oi"  a  loni;  ricl^fe  ol'  sucli, 
Save  Lliat  there  was  no  sea  tn  lave  its  liase, 
Kijt  a  most  living  landscape,  and  the  wave 
Of  woods  and  ei  rn-(ields.  and  tlie  abodes  of  men 
Scattered  at  intervals,  and  wreathin);  smoke 
Arising  from  such  rustic  roofs.'' 

The  hills  above  and  somewhat  farther  ort'  to  the  southwanl 
and  eastward,  are  clothed  and  crowned  with  oak  woods  of  mag- 
nificence and  size  so  unusual,  and  kept  with  such  marked 
evidences  of  care  and  culture  that  no  one  could  doubt,  even  if  it 
were  not  proved  bv  the  gray  turrets  of  an  old  baronial  manor 
and  the  spire  of  a  tall  clock-housn  shooting  up  high  over  the  top. 
of  the  forest  giants,  that  they  were  the  appendages  and  orna'r.cnts 
of  some  one  of  those  ancient  homes  of  England,  which,  full  of 
elegancies  and  graces  of  the  present,  remind  us  so  pleasantly  of 
the  ruder,  though  not  less  homely,  hospitalities  of  the  past. 

Tlie  immediate  summit  of  the  slope  I  have  mentioned  is  bare, 
yet  conspicuous  for  a  single  tree,  the  r.'ly  one  of  its  kind  existing 
for  many  miles  in  that  district— a  single  white  pine,  tall  enough 
for  the  niast  of  some  huge  admiral,  and  as  such  visible,  it  is  said, 
from  points  in  the  lOur  northern  provinces  of  England,  and  the 
two  southernmost  of  Scotland — whenc-  it  is  known  far  and  wide, 
in  many  a  border  lay  and  legend,  as  the  one-tree  hill  on  Reeds- 
wood.*  Below  the  low  brow  of  this  inland  promontory,  for  such 
indeed  it  is,  which  is  covered  with  beautiful,  short,  mossy  grass, 
as  firm  and  soft  as  the  greensward  of  a  modern  race-course,  and 
used  as  one  vast  pasture  of  two  hundred  acres,  lies  a  vast  tract  of 
coppice,  principally  of  oak  and  birch,  but  interspersed  with 
♦In  Norlhumberlanu,  a  few  miles  from  the  Scottish  border 


lh( 
\e 
thi 

CO 

it 

tei 
wl 
-ti 
w 

di 

in 
■A 
ai 

p£ 

Ol 
ll 

I      ■' 

tl 

sl 

C' 

b 
h 


THE  Sl'Ad. 

and  Ijlack-birds  wure  carol- 
I  of  thi'ir  voices,  from  ovorv 

the  wild  hanks  of  tlie  hil 
in  of  liis  disc  above  tlie  hu^', 
e  iioii/on  to  the  north  and 
.vas  t'lc  slope  of  a  lonj;  liill — 

•  A  y:i'n;l<'  hill. 

yr— till'  last. 

ii;  riil^'c  of  such, 

to  lavL*  its  hasu, 

I*,  ami  the  wave* 

iiid  thi'abmlcs  of  men 

vvrcathin^  smoke 

lofs." 

arther  ort'  to  the  southwanl 
led  with  oak  woods  of  mag- 
d    kept    with    such    marked 

0  one  could  doubt,  even  if  it 
:s  of  an  old  baronial  manor 
lootint;  up  high  over  tlic  top, 
le  appendages  and  orn.Tn'.cnts 
s  of  England,  which,  full  of 
:,  remind  us  so  pleasantly  of 
liospitalities  of  the  past. 

ope  I  have  inentioned  is  bare, 
B  r.'Iy  one  of  its  kind  existing 
ngle  white  pine,  tall  enough 
and  as  such  visible,  it  is  said, 
rovinces  of  England,  and  the 
encf  it  is  known  far  and  wide, 

1  the  ont-tree  hill  on  Reeds- 
s  inland  promontor},  for  such 
beautiful,  short,  mossy  grass, 
of  a  modern  race-course,  and 
idred  acres,  lies  a  vast  tract  of 
birch,   but    interspersed   with 

he  Scottish  border 


riiK  PEA  in  or  rim  stac.  "i 

expanses  of   waving   heather,   wh-re   the   soil    is   too  shallow  to 
support  a  larger  growth,  an.l  dotted   lur.  and   there  w.fh  bold, 
grav  crags  w  hich  have  cropped  out  above  the  surface,  and  amongst 
these,   few    and    far    between,    some    glorious   ..Id,   gnarled  haw- 
thorns,    which    may   well    have    furnished    May-wreaths   to   the 
vellow-h.-.ired  daughte.  s  of  the   .Sax.m  before  the  n.ailed   loot  ol 
the  imperious  Norman  had  dinted  the  green  turf  of  Kngland.     1  his 
coppice  overspread  tlie  wh.I     lech-ity  and  base  of  the  lull,  untd 
it  melted  into  the  broad,  rich  meadows,  which,  with  a  lew  scat- 
tered woods  of  small  size,  and  here  and  there  a  patch  ol  yellow 
wheat,  or  a  fragrant  bean-lield,  filled  all  the  bottom  ot    the  great 
strath  or  vallev,  down  to  the  b.tnks  of  a  large   stream,  beyond 
which  me   land   rose  steeply,  flr^t  in  rough  moorland   pastures, 
divided  by  drv  stone  walls,  then   in   roun<i,  heathery  swells,  then 
i„   great  broadbacked  purple  feils,  and  beyond  all,  lainlly  trace- 
•tble  in  the  blue  haze  of  distance,  in  the  vast  ridges  of  the  Cheviots 
and  the    hills  of   Tevydale.     Along   the   base  of   the    h.U-sule, 
partincr  it  from  the  meadows,  ran  a  tall,  oak  park-pal.ng,  made 
of  rud"elvsplit  planks,  not  anywhere  less  than  five  leet  m  height, 
through  "which  access  was  given  to  the  valley  by  heavy  gates  of 
the  same   material,  from  two  or  three  winding  wood-roads  into 
the  shado-.vy  lanes  of  the  lovely  lower  country. 

.Such  was  the  scene,  o'er  which  there  arose  before  the  sun, 
startling  the  hil!  echoes  far  and  near,  and  silencirg  the  grouse- 
cocks  on  the  moors,  and  the  song-birds  in  the  bra.e  and  thicket 
by  their  tumultuous  din,  the  .houts  and  fanfar..s  that  told  the 

h.unt  was  up. 

"Tayho!   Tayho!" 
i-ara-tara-tara-tantara-ra-taratantara-tantara-ra-ra-rah.    Which 

being  interpreted  into  verbal  dog-talk,  is  conceived  to  say- 
"Gone  away!  gone  away!  gone  away!  away!  away!  away! 
and  is  immediately  understood  as  such,  not  by  the  well-mounted 
sportsman  onlv,  but  by  what  Scott  calls,  him-^elf  no  unskilled 
woodsman,  "  the  dauntless  trackers  of  the  deer."  who  rush  full- 
mouthed  to  the  cheery  clangor,  Hlling  all  earth  and  ether  with 
the  musical  discords  of  their  sweet  chidings. 

The    spot   whence    the    first    loud,   manly    shout    -Tayho"' 
resounded,    was    almost    within    the   .hadow    of    the   one    tree, 


run  nRATH  or-  riii-  siAt. 


;:::i;lw™,u«----,^:r;:;::,:;,-::,;: 

I  .„nl«  erect   on  tlif  gallant  sport  ol  the  Hay. 

^'"■;;;;';:  xx^-n'oaa  leavca  ..ts  a„a  ,o^.,^^^^ 

r:,  r        „.,-    -icoutorfd  lor  such  a  cl>a»c  as  is  never  heard  teil  of 

r  rrs:r;;;i,«..ounasandn,h.  t..oro>.....ds,^^ 

e  leot-afoK  is  .-..unted  by  the  minutes  he  c.n  he  ..th  a 
b  e-  bilh  scent  before  .he  .Ke.^.  and  the  vaU.e  ol  u  hunter  by 
the'lonUs  he  can  go  in  the  fir.t  .light  with  a  do.en  horseman  s 

""T,;r::tli':^e  otherwise,  the  ^x  was  unUennCed.  or  the 
,,;  Irbored  at  daybreak,  and  UiUed,  if  the  -■-'  W  ^  ' 
r  or  laer  before  sunset-runs  were  reckoned  by  liours, 
r^dVlud  lor  heir  staunchness,  not  their  lleetness,  horses 
';::  "^t  thdr  sp..ed,  but  for  their  stoutness,  and  the  ion.es. 
r  liest  last  rider,  not  the  most  darin«  or  the  lore.nost,  won  tl,e 
;::::;tl::  :.l:  >vere  it  bmsh  or  ant,er.  when  the  «ame  tox 

„  x^u-,  nr  the  nallant  stag  turned  to  bay. 
^^•^;r     r:;en   who  .ere  'gathered  on  the  broad,  bare  brow 
o.  t       one.tree  hill  were  in  all  twelve  or  thirteen  .n  number  all, 
fir.t   slht    men   of    gentle  blood    and    generous   educal.on, 
It,:     h   a     t,:;   everl,   ever   must   be   in   every  compa,,y 
^h  t  le    of  -n  or  inferior  animals,  there  ^vas  one  to  whon,  every 
even   of  the   unknown   stranger   or   the   ignorant   peasa..t, 
''"'td  h.ve  n  uL  iv  turned  as  evidently  and  undoubtedly  the 
^f  the  pT    ■    both  in  birth  and  breeding;  he   mingled 
XX,    s^'^itrlh;   rest   on   the   most   perfect  terms  not  of 
eoua        only,  but  of  intimate  familiar  intercourse  and  fr.enash  p. 
Nrte'm!  of  ceremonial,  no  titles  of  rank  or  territorial  .nfluence. 
Z     mp  e  Christian  names  passed  between  those  gay  and  pyou 
vou  hT   nor  was  there  anything  in  the  habit  of  the  wearers,  o. 
h    mount  ng  of  the  riders,  to  indicate  the  slightest  d.fterence  m 


the 

hoi 

to  I 

lor 

the 

Ilia 

at 

gri 

pe 

for 

wl 

wi 

-.o 

de 

ar 

K' 
e\ 
bt 
rt 
rt 
li 
d 

s' 
tl 
t: 

ii 
e 

r 

I 
i 
< 


77//:  .S7V!'. 

i.lin«  llie  whoio  view  of  tin' 
r  tin-  liii.ioiis  Talbot  blooil- 
jrty  couple,  were  in  tlie  act  oi 
,  .gallantly  appareled,  ^allnnllv 
,ble  steeds  tliey  beHtiDile,  eves, 

Kport  of  the  liay. 
aveil  liats  and  lU)atinj{  plumes, 
1'  seams  with  embroideries  of 
<.bootandtb.  kmj,'htlysp>"'>" 
m  the  thirfb,  and  tlius  u  ere  our 
a  cbaHC  as  is  never  heard  tell  of 
nd  tlvinn  tlioroiinlibreds,  when 
c  minutes  he  cm\  live  with  a 
R,  and  the  value  of  a  hunter  by 

tliKht  with  a  dozen  bors.'manV 

the  fox  WU8  unkenneled,  or  the 
,d  killed,  if  the  scent  lay  well, 
runs  were  reckoned  by  hours, 
ness,  not  their  fleetness,  horses 
r  their  Rtoutness.and  the  lonj;est, 

daring;  or  the  loremost,  won  tlie 
1  or  antler,  when  the  game  fox 
turned  to  bay. 

iithered  on  the  broad,  bare  brow 
welve  or  thirteen  in  number,  all, 

blood  and  generous  education, 
er  must  be  in  every  company, 
lals,  there  was  one  to  whom  every 
ranger  or  the  ignorant  peasant, 
,s  evidently  and  undoubtedly  the 

birth  and  breeding;  he  mingled 
,  the  most  perfect  terms  not  of 
imili;ir  intercourse  and  friendship. 
les  of  rank  or  territorial  influence, 
ised  between  those  gay  and  joyous 
,g  in  the  habit  of  the  wearers,  or 
indicate  the  slightest  diflerence  in 


/■///i  nKATIl  or  THE  STA<i. 


'•1 


their  positions  of  social   well  being  and  well  doing.     One  youth, 
however,  who  an»wered  to  the  name  of  (ierald,  an.l  sometimes 
to  the  patrimonial   Howard,   was   so   far  the  handsomer  both  in 
form  and  fea'aiie,  the  Hl,it.lier  in  stature,  the  gracefuUer  in  gesture, 
the  manlier  in  bearing,  the  firmer  and  easier  of  seat  and  hand  on 
his  hunter,  that  any  one  would   liave  been   prompt  to  say  almost 
at  a   glance,   there    is    uie  man   of  all   this  gentle  and  generous 
group,  whom,  if  war   wake,  its  clangor  in  the  land,  if  external 
perils    threaten    its    coasts,  or   internal  trouble  shake    its    state, 
foreign    wars   or   domestic  strife   will   alike    tind  the   foremost, 
whether  in  his  seat  with  the  senate,  or  in  his  smldle  on  the  field, 
wielding    with  equal   force   and    skill  llie  statesman'-,    scholar's 
soldier's  eye,  tongue,  sword— all  honored    him,  indeed,  and    he 
deserved  that  all  should  honor  him. 

I  have  omitted,  not  forgotten  or  neglected,  to  mention  as  first 
and  fairest  of  that  fair  company,  a  bevy  of  half  a  do/en  fair  and 
graceful  girN-not  like  the  gentlemen,  all  of  one  cast,  but  as  wa- 
evident,  not  so  much  from  the  dilVeience  of  their  grace  and 
beauty— though  in  these  also  there  was  a  difference-as  from  the 
relative  difference  of  positions  which  they  maintained,  four 
remaining  somewhat  in  the  rear  of  the  other  two,  and  not  ming- 
ling unless  first  addressed  in  the  conversation,  and  trom  some 
distinction  in  the  costliness  and  material  of  their  attire. 

A  mounted  chamberlain,  with  four  or  five  grooms,  who  sio' 
still  farther  aloof,  in  the  rear  of  the  ladies  in  waiting,  and  two  o 
three  glittering  pages  standing  afoot  among  the    latter,  in  full 
tide  of  gallantrv  and  flirtation,  their  coursers  held  by  the  grooms 
in  attendance,  made  up  the  party.     From  which  must  always  be 
excepted  the  huntsman,  the  verdurer,  and  eight  or  ten  veomen 
prickers,  in  laced  green  jerkins,  with  round  velvet  caps,  like  those 
worn  bv  the  whippers-in  of  the  present  day,  and  huge  French- 
horns  over  their  left  shoulders,  who  were  seen  from  time  to  time 
appearing,  disappearing,  and  reappearing  in  the  g'.ades  and  dingles 
of  the  hill-side  covert,  and  heard  now  rating  the  untimely  and 
fallacious  challenge  of  some  waywanl   and   willful  puppy,  now 
cheering   the   earnest   and   trusty    wl  ipper   of    some   redoubted 
veteran  of  the  pack,  as  he  half-opene.i  on  a  scent  of  yester-evcn. 
The  hounds  had  been  in  the  coppice  above  an  hour,  and  two- 


, ,  ^  77/ A-  PEA  TH  O  I-    THF.  S  TA  ( . . 

ponderous  old..a...i...u.d   ropcat.r.-and  no.      ,.      11.. 

:;;;:,Uon«droopinK,.lun,e.oncac.Md.ora.coc..« 
exquisite  oval,   with   a    hi«h    brow,    lonK-  J""' •'' '"\;^r ,",  f, 

II      w   h  a  nuu,e    of   ra...    ..n-etry,  exquisitely    round  d, 
;;::rl^rhor^aton..ost.nd.n.,,a^n..^^^^;^^^^^^^ 
without  the  least  indication  ol  .uanhncss  n  "      «  ^   " 
,et  with  a  certain  uir  o(  at-houK-nes.  ,n  her  P-' ''"''";  [^ 
U,at  showed  she  could  vide  as   well,  perhaps  as  boldl, .  a^ 

man  amon«  them.  luiLrhinirlv,  as  she 

.'  \|,i  (ieraUi,  tJerald,"  said  the  elder  u"'.  l-u.^hi.  M>, 

many  n>inutes,  all  for  the  P''^^;^  ^^  ^     "'ru.  lone  hill-side 
of  our  hearts;  and  here  have  we  been  s.tt.n^  on 

Uvo  hours  and  upwards  to  the  great  c-avng  o.  ^^'^^^ 

the   raininess    of   our    hearts,    yearnu,g-as    the  ^   -^";   ^ 

.                   II    1  „....  it     nfic-r  creature  comtort.  Outonjou. 

ll.  Tc  is  one  horn  or  hool  Irom  the  east  to    ne  w 

:  .     no  not  from  the  '  throstle's  nest  •  to  the  '  thorny  brae, 
su  •  -no,  noi  iruni  i.iv-  wairer  you 

say.oi  auc  instantly  raismg  his 

a  stag  a-foot,  ay,  and  a  stag  ol  ten.      «• 


77/;?  ST  An. 

,.lrawiil)lu<>k-tlu-K.-"tU-men 

i,«,ul  vvistlul  «l,uu-os«'>'l""" 
lorc  ll.iin    (»icc   o.   UvU-'  lUfii 
._,uul  now  tl..-  cUIlt,  Hl.orl.T 
iviiiK  ll'i^'  whip  H«l«llv  to   li.i- 
thf   Hide   of    (ifiaUl    1  Iowa. J, 
mo   iliirk    ri-iUmJaiK-L'  of  hall- 
own  from  hcnciith  a  velvet  citj), 
each  M^-  of  a  face  of  the  inoKt 
cw,    lont,',  jet-blai-W   cyeUuheH, 
her  pure,  coUmIchh  cheeks,  lor 
prcMion  of  the  highest  intelleet, 
,:n.rlea  with  all  a  womaii'K  ten- 

s,inutbit.K'  "'>"v^  l'»^  '"''''*''•' 
iy,nmeti7,  exquisitely  rounaed, 
,t  femininely  and  most  tirmly, 
,„li„,.,,  in  her  neat  or  demca.u.r, 
ncHS  in  her  position  and  posture, 
■  11,  perhaps  as  boldly,  as  the  hent 

he  elder  ^irl,  lau^hinKly,  as  she 
e  silver  butt  of  her  riding  whip, 
es,  and  especially  to  this  fairest 
,  our  soft  beds,  at  this  untimely 
,c>r  UH  a  stag  of  ten  within  so 
re  of  our  eyes,  and  the  delectation 

;  been  sittinj,'  on  this  lone  hillside 
rear  craving  of  our  appetites,  and 
yearning-as    the    Mueen's   good 
creature  comfort.      Out  on  you! 
s  1  believe  not,  lor  my  part,  that 
the  east  to  the  west  on  the  hill- 
f's  nest  '  to  the 'thorny  brae.'" 
ncredulous-bul  I  will  wager  you 
great  grav  stone,  with  the  birch 
nlMmes,  as  our  bright  Kate  would 
over  his  cold  brow,  we  will  have 
f  ten."     And  instantly  raising  his 


77/ fi  nnATii  or  the  stah. 


ii; 


voiii' loa.iuicker  and  clearer  note— "  see  now!"  he  cried,  "  sec 
now  !  "  as  a  superb,  dark  colored  animal,  not  lower  tlian  a  yeju  ling 
colt  at  the  forehand,  leaped  with  a  bound  an  agile  as  if  he  was 
aided  by  \\ing-,  on  th.'  cope  stone  ol  the  ilry  stone  wall,  whiih 
hounded  the  hither  side  of  the  hill  coppice,  with  vast,  branching 
antlers  tossed  as  if  in  defiance,  and  a  swan-like  neck  swollen  with 
pride  and  anger,  lie  stood  there  an  instant,  self-poised,  sell- 
balanced,  "like  the  heraU'  Mercury  new  lighted  on  a  heaven 
kissing  hill,"— uttered  a  hoarse,  bellowing  cry,  peculiar  lo  the 
animal  in  his  season,  and  then  sailing  forth  in  a  long,  easy  curve, 
alighted  on  the  springy  turf,  whose  enameled  surface  he  scarce 
dinted,  and  then  swept  up  the  gentle  slope  almost  toward  the 
admiring  group  on  the  brow,  but  in  a  diagonally  curved  line  thai 
would  carry  him  in  the  long  run  to  the  south-west  of  them,  at 
the  distance  of  perhaps  a  hundred  yards. 

"Tavho!  Tayho!"  burst  in  a  clear  and  hearty  shout  from  the 
excited"  lips  of  Gerald  Howard.  And  instantly  from  every  part 
of  the  hillside,  from  the  '  throstle's  nest '  to  the  '  thorny  brae,'  from 
ten  well-blown  French  horns  burst  the  wild  call.  "  Tara  tara 
tara-tanlHra-ra-tara  tantara-tantararara-rah— (ione  away— gone 
away— gone  away— away— away ! "  and  the  fierce  rally  of  the 
mighty  Talbots  broke  into  tonu'ue  at  once  through  the  whole 
breadth  and  length  of  the  oak  coppice,  as  they  came  pouring  up 
the  hills,  making  the  heather  bend  and  the  coppice  crash  before 
them  like  those  famed  Spartan  hounds  of  Hercules  and  C^idmus, 

••When  ill  tliu  wiimis  nl  Crete  tlicy  liayeil  the  bear- 
So  llewed,  so  raiuleil,  ami  their  lieails  were  hung 
Willi  ears  tliat  sweep  away  the  iiuiriiiilK  'lew; 
Criiok-kiieeil  and  dew-lappeil  like  Thessalian  hulls; 
Slow  in  pursuit  but  matched  in  inoutli  like  bells 

Each  under  each." 

At  fifty  separate  spots  they  leaped  the  wall  nearly  abreast,  but 
four  were  in  may  be  a  spear's  length  the  leaders,  and  they  laying 
their  heads  right  at  the  noble  quarry,  which  was  still  full  in  view, 
came  straining  up  the  hill,  making  all  ring  around  them  with 
their  deep-mouthed  thunder.  The  rest  topped  the  wall  one  by 
one,  in  view  too,  and  on  a  breast-high  scent  came  steaming  up  the 


„6  THE  DEATH  OF  THE  STAC. 

rich  grass  slope  on  converging  lines,  so  that  as  they  passed  the 
"ttenHve  g.oup  tc.  the  westward,  .ithin  a  hundred   yard.,  t.  e 
pa  k  had  \o,  all  together  within,  perhaps,  another  hundred  yards 
r;^:  llln^ches,  ri;ning  so  that  a  large  carpet  ^^^l^^ 
.red  the  whole  forty  couple,  and  rav.ng  «Uh  such  '^^^      "^ - 
.nonious  discords,  such  shrill   and    hsavage   treb  es  o      1  e  he 
bitch  hounds,  such  a  deep  diapasone  o.   '  -""'^       \  ^.^.'^"f^^;. 
such  sweet  and  attuned   chidings  ot    the  - -'^•-  "       T^^. 
but  must  have  listened  with  delight,  not  a  heart  but  must  have 
bounded  with  rapture  at  the  exulting  sounds. 

\nd  ever  and  anon  there  rang  up  from  ll,e  w.ldwood  Ik 
,eep  lllow  blasts  of  the  French  horns,  blent  with  the  jangUd 
tie's' of  Talbots  into  a  strange  and  indeser.bable  clangor  and 
crepitation,  at  once  most  peculiar  and  most  entrancmg. 

U   the   same   .non,ent  the    sun   burst    into    v.ew    above    the 
eastern   l^lls.  and  pouring  down  a  great  tiood  of  golden    us..-e 
^rL  whole  glowing  scene,  Uindled    up  -eryth,,^  ..Uo 
and  light-tinging  with  ruddy    light    the   dappled       <^       °',  ;  - 
noble  beast  as  he  swept  by  them,  now  wthm  "'  ^-^  '^^"7, 
bad  circled  around  then.,  wantoning  and   >^ounchng  to  and      o 
perfectly  unconcerned   by  the  nearer  presence  ol   '-   P--^ 
Ind   seemingly    desirous   to   display  the   mnacles  o     h,s    sp  ed 
:-i;::uty?o'the  ..ir  eyes  that  admired   ^'•;;--    -^^     ; 
dappled  hides  of  the  many-colored,  glossy  pack-burn.shm„  t.  e 
Sand  satin  coats  of  .he  noble  coursers,  till  they  glowed  w. 
a^^ost  metalic  splendor-tlashing  upon  the  rich  laces,  the  br.ght 
b^k    sand  the  polished  swordhilts  of  the  hunters,  and  g.ld.ng 
^e  brid'bits  an'd  bra.en  horns  of  the  verdurers  and  yoemen 
pck-     until  the  whole  hiU-side  was  glittering  with  a  thousand 
r:;  lu'I's  and  salient  lights,  filling  the  mind   with   memor.es  ot 

'^'irt:t":S:^:;:onthebrowoftheone.^ 


r  T/fF  STAC. 

les.  so  that  as  tl>ey  passed  the 
Nvithiii  a  hundred  yards,  tlie 
)erhaps,  another  hundred  yards 
1  large  carpet  might  liave  cov- 
raving  with  Midi  a  din  of  har- 
\  fisavage  trebles  of  the  tierce 
sone  of  the  old  veteran  dogs, 
of  the  whole,  that  not  an  ear 
ht,  not  a  heart  but  must  have 
ting  sounds. 

^g   up  from    the   wildwood    tlie 
h  horns,  blent  with  the  jangled 
and   indescribable  clangor  and 
■  and  most  entrancing, 
un   burst    into    view    above    the 
,  a  great  Hood  of  golden  lustre 
kindled    -ip  everything  into  life 
light    the   dappled    sides  of    the 
n,  now  within  fifty  yards-for  he 
oning  and   bounding  to  and  fro, 
nearer   presence  of  his    pursuers 
splay  the   miracles  of  his    speed 
at  admired   him-enlivening  the 
ired,  glossv  pack-burnishing  the 
le  coursers,  till  they   glowed  with 
ng  upon  the  rich  laces,  the  bright 
|. hilts  of  the  hunters,  and  gilding 
ns  of  the  verdurers  and  yoemen 
de  was  glittering  with  a  thousand 
ling  the  mind   with   memories  of 

the  brow  of  the  one-tree  hill  had 
ay,  animated  scene  had  revolved 
le  wheeling  around  the  stationary 
•vants  of  the  chase,  huntsmen  and 
-eamed  up  the  long  hill  at  their  best 

lee  and  its  gay  company,  swelling 
^ing  of  their  horns,  the  gallant  stag 


r///-:  DEATH  ()/•    THE  STAd. 


117 


appeared  lo  comprehend  that  a  f'-esli  hand  of  enemies  were 
added  to  his  first  pursuers— for  he  half  turned  his  b.ead  to  gaze 
on  them,  half  pausetl  for  a  moment  to  snufi"  the  air,  with  nostrils 
pridefuUy  dilated  and  Hanks  heaving,  not  with  weariness  as  yet, 
bur  with  contempt  ami  scorn,  then  with  a  loss  of  his  antleis,  and 
a  loud  snort  of  indignation,  set  his  head  fair  to  the  northwest, 
full  for  the  hills  of  .Scotland,  and  went  away  at  long,  sweeping 
bounds  that  seemed  to  divide  the  green  slope,  by  leaps  of  eight 
vards  each,  soared  back  again  over  the  rough  stone  wall,  and 
wer.t  crashing  through  the  thickets,  straight,  for  the  tall  oak 
palings  and  the  river,  as  if  he  were  bound  for  some  distant  well- 
known  point,  oil  a  ri>;ht  line  as  the  crow  liies. 

And  now  for  tlie  gentlemen  the  chase  was  begun,  and  (ierald 
Howard  led  it,  like  their  leader  as  he  was  in  aU  things,  :ind  the 
rest  followed  him  like  men  as  they  were,  and  brave  ones— but  to 
the  ladies  it  was  ended  so  soon  as  they  had  breathed  their  palfries 
down  the  slope  to  the  stone  wall  and  the  woodside  at  an  easy 
canter;  and  they  returned  to  the  hill-top,  where  they  found 
viands  and  refreshments  spread  on  the  grass;  and  long  they 
lingered  there  watching  the  hunt  recede,  and  the  sounds  of  the 
chase  die  away  in  the  far  distance.  15ut  it  was  long  ere  the 
sights  and  sounds  were  lost  all  and  wholly  to  their  eyes  and  ears 
— tor  the  quarry  still  drove  on,  as  straight  as  the  crow  Hies,  due 
northward — due  northward  the  chase  followed. 

'J'liev  saw  the  gallant  stag  swoop  over  the  oak-pales  as  if  they 
were  no  obstacle— they  saw  the  yelpii.,'  pack  crash  and  climb 
after  him  ;  then  th°y  saw  Gerald  Howard  on  uis  tall  coal  black 
barbe  soar  over  it  unhindered— but  all  the  rest  turned  right  or 
left  to  gate  or  gap,  or  ere  they  might  follow  him.  'l"he  valley 
was  crossed  as  by  a  whirlwind— the  river  swam  by  hart,  hound, 
and  hunter,  unhesitating  and  unheeding— and  far  beyoid  up  the 
green  moorland  pasture,  over  the  stone-walls,  now  ilisappearing 
over  the  hill-tops  into  the  misty  hollows,  now  glinting  up  again 
into  the  light  over  some  yet  more  distant  stretch  of  purple  heath; 
and  still  the  chiding  of  the  hounds,  and  still  the  w  ild  bursts  of 
the  French-horns  fell  faintly  on  the  ears,  as  the  wind  freshened 
from  the  westward — but  at  length  sound  and  sight  failed  them, 
and  when   silence  had  sunk  still    and    solitude   reigned   almost 


I 


•iM 


,,8  THE  DEATH  OF  THE  STAC, 

pcrtVct    .,v,M-    ll.c    lale  peopled  slope    of   thorny    biac    a..d   the 
one-lree  hill,  the  fjav  bevy  of  dames  ami  damsels  returned  home- 
ward, son.ething  -hJ  nu,re  se>  ious  it  not  the  sadder  lor  the  partinfr 
,o  await  the  galherin«ol  their  partners  to  the  «ay  evemnf,'  meal. 
I  on«  thev   uaile.l-late  it  grew-the  evenin};  meal  was  over 
-th.  close  ot   ni«ht  had  come-the  li;,'hts   in  the  bower  and  hal, 
were  kindled-the  gates  were   locked  and    barred-lont;  ere  the 
first  or  the  belated   foresters  return.d  soiled  and  splashed,  way- 
worn  and  «earv,  with  the  jaded  and  harassed  hounds,  and  horses 
ahnost  dead   fr'om  the  exertion  a,ul  exhav.stion  of  the  day.     At 
midnight,  of  the  field  all  the  m.n  save  one  were  collected,  though 
two  or  three  came  in  on  fool,  and  yet  more  on  borrowed  horses- 
their  own  good  steeds  left  in   the  morass  or  on  the  moorland,  to 
feed   the   kites  and    the   hill-fo.es_of    the    pack   all   save    tw.. 
„u.s,ered  at  the  kennel-gates  in   such  plight  as  the  to.l  they  had 

borne  permiUed. 

The  man  miss.ng  was  .Sir  (.erald  llowar.l,  the  n^asler  o  th. 
pack  the  two  hounds  were  its  two  le.-^dcrs,  Hercules  and  Hard- 
l,cart,  of  whom  no  rider  had  ever  yet  seen  the  speed  slacken  or 

the  heart  fail.  , 

The  old  verdnrer,  who  gave  out  the  last,  reported  (.orald  Howard 

uoing  well,  when  he  saw  hi.n  last,  with  the  stag  and  two  Talbots 
of  111  in  full  view-and  this  many  miles  into  Scotland  within  the 
pleasant  vale  of  Teviotdale,  with  the  great  Scottish  hills,  gnm 
an.l  gray,  t<,wering  up  before  him,  and  the  night  closing  last  on 
those  dim  solitudes. 

It  was  late  on  the  nextd.ny  whe.i  Sir  Gerald  Howard  wa..  see,-, 
.iding  up  the  road  on  the  same  steed  he  had  backed  so  gallantly, 
still  wearv  and  worn,  though  recruitlng-with  Jhe  huge  antlers  at 
his  saddle-bow,  but  no  brave  Talbots  at  his  heel. 

He  had  ridden  far  into  the  darkness,  still  guided  by  the  baymg 
of  the  staunch  hounds;  and  when  he  could  see  to  ride  no  longer, 
Jnd  obtained  timely  succor  and  refresh.nent  from  a  stout  borderer 
of  Teviot-side.  At  daylight  mounted  a  fresh  horse,  a  garron  ol 
the  countrv,  to  renew  the  chase;  but  it  was  now  soon  ended. 
Scarce  had  he  gone  a  mile  on  the  straight  line  they  had  run 
ihrou-hout,  ere  he  found  Hard-heart  stiff  a.ui  cold  on  the  moun- 
tain  heather,  and  not  a  hundred  yards  yet  onward,  ere  the  great 


■"WIT" 


•  THE  STAG 

)|)c    of   thorny    brae    and    llic 
saiul  daiiiM'ls  rt'turncil  lioinc- 
t  not  the  saiUier  for  the  parting, 
incrs  to  the  i^Ay  eveninf,'  meal, 
iv— the  eveninj;  meal  was  over 
c  li,t;hts   in  the  bower  anil  hall 
ked  and    barred— lont;  ere  the 
ned  soiled  and  splashed,  way- 
nd  jjarassed  hounds,  and  horses 
id  exhaustion  of  the  day.     At 
save  one  were  collected,  thounh 
vet  more  on  borrowed  horses- 
morass  or  on  the  moorland,  to 
•s—of    the    pack   all   save    two 
uch  plight  as  the  toil  they  had 

•aid  Howard,  the  master  of  tl:e 
vo  leaders,  Hercules  and  llard- 
r  vet  seen  the  speed  slacken  or 

the  last,  reported  (Jerald  Howard 
t,  with  the  stag  and  twoTalbots 
y  miles  into  Scotland  within  the 
1  the  great  Scottish  hills,  grim 
in,  and   the  night  closing  fast  on 

len  Sir  Gerald  Howard  wat.  see;. 
4eed  he  had  backed  so  gallantly, 
ruiting— with  ^he  huge  antlers  at 
bots  at  his  heel. 

rkness,  still  guided  by  the  baying 
:n  he  could  see  to  ride  no  longer, 
efreshinent  from  a  stout  borderer 
ounted  a  fresh  horse,  a  garron  of 
c;  but  it  was  now  soon  ended, 
the  straight  line  they  hnd  run 
heart  stiff  and  cold  on  the  moun- 
I  yards  yet  onward,  ere  the  great 


T/fK  DEATH  OF  THE  S  I  A(i. 


119 


stag  lay  before  him,  not  a  hair  of  his  hide  injured,  and  Hercules 
beside  him,  with  his  head  upon  his  haunches,  where  he  had 
breatluil  his  last,  powerless  to  blood  the  brave  ipiarry  he  hatl  so 
nobly  conquered. 

Sixty  miles  had  they  run  on  Ihut  summer's  day  from  point; 
they  had  died  together,  and  in  their  graves  they  were  not  loti- 
founded,  for  a  double  tomb  was  scooped  in  the  eorrie  or  liullow  of 
the  mountain-side,  wherein  they  were  found,  and  above  it  w'as 
piled  a  rough,  grav  eulumn,  w  hereupon  may  be  seen  rudely  sculp- 
tured this  true  epitaph, 

llcrciili's  killcil  Hart  0'(!rc;isc, 
■\iicl  lIartO'Gre;isf  killcil  lIc.Tciilcs. 

For,  reader  mine,  this  is  a  real  and  true  tale,  ami  I,  who  tell 
it  you,  have  sat  upon  the  stone,  and  tempered  my  cup  of  I'arintosli 
from  the  little  rill  beside  it,  with  the  wild  peak  of  the  Maiden's 
I'.iss  before  me,  the  dark  Cheviots  at  my  right,  the  blue  heights 
of  the  (ireat  Moor  looming  away  almost  immeasurably  to  the 
westward,  and  lui  lompanions  near  im  ~:ive  the  red  grouse  of 
the  heather,  and  the  curlew  of  the  morass,  nothing  to  while  away 
the  time  that  my  weary  setters  slept  in  the  noonday  sun,  save 
this  old-time  tradition. 


^ 


THE  KED  FOX 


q^IllS  WL-U-knownand  widely  distributeii  animal  is  one  ol  the 
I     few  species,  whether    of    birds  or    quadrupeds,  that    is    not 
peculiar  to  this  continent,  hut  co-exists,  identical  in  all  Us  char- 
icteristics,  ill  Europe  and  America. 

It  is  not,  indeed,  a  fact  perfectly  established  that  the  red  Ion 
is  oriKinallv  indij,'enous  to  this  country  ;  it  being  well  ascertained 
that  it  was'largely  imported,  as  a  beast  of  chase,  by  the  lounder. 
ol  the  Cavalier  settlements  of  Maryland,  shortly  after  then- 
arrival  in  order  to  minister  to  their  sporting  propensities,  for 
which  purposes  its  craft,  courage  and  endurance  adapt  it  tar 
more  ban  its  congener,  th.  gray  fox,  which  is  peculiar  to  the 
western  hemisphere. 

This  circumstance,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  red  lox  ol 
America  is  not  to  be  distinguished,  in  any  structural  points, 
from  the  European  animal,  has  induced  the  belief  among  many 
well-informed  persons,  that  the  red  fox  was  unknown  in  America 
before  the  arrival  of  the  white  man,  and  that  the  whole  race  xvith 
which  the  continent,  in  its  northern  portions  especially,  abounds 
are  all  descen.lanf.  of  those  imported  by  the  settlers  of  Lord 
Baltimore,  such  as  were  fortunate  enough  to  escape  the  fox- 
hounds of  the  gallant  cavaliers.  ... 

Without  asserting  positively  that  this  derivation  is  true,  it 
may  be  well  to  state  that  it  is  by  no  means,  as  some  persons  have 
maintained,  impossible  ;  since,  notwithstanding  the  vast  increase, 
in  a  comparatively  short  period,  which  must  be  assumed  in  orde. 
to  account  for  the  wide  diffusion  of  the  race  at  the  present  day, 
such  an  increase  is  by  no  means  incc  .sistent  with  the  laws  o. 
nature  as  regards  the  propa-jation  of  animals,  where  they  are 
entirely,  or  in  a  great  degree,  unmolested. 


';  FOX. 


stiibuteii  animal  is  one  ol'  the 
s  or  quadrupi'ds,  that  is  not 
ixists,  identical  in  all  its  char- 

y  established  that  the  red  lox 
ntry  ;  it  being  well  ascertained 
least  of  chase,  by  the  founder. 
Maryland,  shortly  after  their 
heir  sportinj;  propensities,  for 
;c  and  endurance  adapt  it  tar 
fox,  which  is  peculiar  to  the 

ith  the  fact  that  the  red  fox  of 
bed,  in   any    structural   points, 
duced   the   belief  among  many 
d  fox  was  unknown  in  America 
n,  and  that  the  whole  race  with 
;rn  portions  especially,  abounds, 
ported  by   the   settlers  of   Lord 
ite   enough    to   escape  the    fox- 
that   this   derivation  is   true,  it 
no  means,  as  some  persons  have 
jtwithstanding  the  vast  increase, 
which  must  be  assumed  in  ordei 
of  the  race  at  the  present  day, 
i  incciisistent   with   the  laws  ot 
;on  of   animals,  where  they  are 
molested. 


T//K  liED  FOX. 


\2\ 


It  is,  moreover,  worthy  of  remark,  in  this  point  of  view,  that 
the  red  fox,  though  in  no  respect  'lomesticated,  or.  perhaps, 
susceptible  of  doinesiication,  is  yet  the  attendant  and  concomi- 
tant of  man,  extending  his  range  as  the  range  of  civilization  is 
extended,  and  rarely,  if  ever,  occurring  in  the  interior  of  the 
native  wilderness. 

The  iMiglish  rabbit  lias  in  tlii-  inanner  become  indigenous  to 
p;irts  of  Florida,  where,  I  am  informed,  they  are  now  abundant, 
of  all  colors,  being  sprung  from  a  few  ]>airs  of  the  domesticated 
variety;  while  it  is  notorious  thai  the  countless  droves  of  cattle 
and  ivilil  horses  xvhieli  people  the  pampas  of  .South  America 
are  sprung  from  individuals  turiutl  loose  by  the  .Spaniards,  and 
that  uKiMv  uninhabited  islands  in  the  I'acilic  ami  elsewhere 
actually  swarm  with  lOuropean  animals,  thi'  ilescendantsof  single 
pairs  set  ashore  by  benelicent  mariners  for  llie  benefit  of  humanity 
at  large. 

The  limits  inhabited  by  the  red  fox  of  America  are,  as  1  have 
stated  above,  very  widely  extended,  embracing  all  the  settleil 
parts  ol' the  United  .States,  but  more  especially  the  central  por- 
tions along  the  sea-board,  and  to  the  eastward.  In  IMorida  ami 
farther  south  they  are  far  rarer.  The  red  fox  is  thus  ilescribeil  in 
Dekay's  Fauna  of  the  .State  of  New  York:  — 

"  C/ninit/riis/its. — Reddish  above,  whitish  beneath.  I')ars 
behind,  and  anterior  part  of  legs,  varying  from  light  brown  lo 
deep  black.     Length,  3 — 4  feet. 

^'■Description. — From  a  large  male  kill  .1  in  Qiicen's  county, 
Long  Island,  New  York. — Snout,  small  and  pointed.  Length 
of  head,  7.0. 

"  Color. — Anterior   jiart   of   the   head,  the  flanks,  and   back, 

brii^ht  reddish,  more  particularly  along  the  back  and  foresboul- 

(lers,  where  the  color  is  more  intense.       Margin  of  the  chin  and 

upper    jaw,    pure    white.      Thr.)at,   breast   and   a    narrow  space 

along  the  belly,  whitish,  niixeil  with  brown  on  the  latter.       Fore 

and  hind  feet  black  in  front,  the  black  on  the  latter  extending   up 

on    the    outside   of    the    thigh.       Toes    margined    with    fuhous. 

Hrush,  ample,  reddish,  composcil  of   two  sorts  of   hairs,  the  one 
9 


li 


:  \ 


■""< 


_ 


THE  KEO  EOS. 

Wack  at  Ih.  base-  and  .e.Kiish  at  ,1,.  tips;  tl.e  other,  -nt.ch  longo, 
entird,  black,  giving  to  th.  whole  tail  a  dusl-  y  a,,pcaru.>c.. 


Head  atul  body, 
VfilfbriL'  ol  tail, 
Ditto  tips  of  luiirs. 


390 
I3.0 
160 


.,,-,,,   ,.,,   ,bx   varies   considerably  in    .e.^ht  a,.d    m.         b 
sncchuca  above  dc.c,ibed  ueigbing  eleven  pounds,  and       b.    c 
■      of    others    vvei,.,in«    nfteen     ponnd.    but    ^uch    a,e    no. 
::  L,U.emorevsual.ei«btis..on>ei.h,   .oten,^^^^ 

Mtbougb  this  .ox  burrows  well,  yet  it  is  n.H  uncornn.0,.  h.  .  nd 
,hen,  takin.  possession   of    the  burrows  o.    the    sk.   k    U-    'h, 
f      :,.;„.,.  their  -ounK.       Richardson  slates  that  it  btn- 
purpose  of  rearm;;  then   voun^.  1  ...  ^  r.,ll..n   tree 

^  I  :.,  ...inti.r  1-ikes  re  u lie   under  a  lallen  lui- 

iiiMs  in  summer,  and  m  winttr  iukcs  lemf, 

:;  i  ^s  Ibrth  .;on>  ^ur  to  six  young,  abon,^  the  latter  end^o 
M     cb^.-  first  of  April,  in  the  state  of  New   VoH..        bese  a.  e  ^ 
r.rst  covered  with  a  smoke-brown  fur.      In  a  btter   I  once  saw 
a     tip"  of  the  tails   in  all   were   white,  and,   Hke   the  dog.  w  ,e 
b    .d  L-  son.e  davs  after  birth.      They  teed  on  the  s.nidler  q u  d - 

1    .nd  birds' and  are  accused  of  dcstroy.n,;;  lambs.      1  hty 
::::  ;Zlio;;:;  i^rays  upon  t,.  bam-yard,  but  ^^^^^^ 

,0.  so  diriuL'  as  the  other  species,  and,  perhaps,  in  some 
::a^  e^,^  ::.^  ^>.-  tbeir  injuries  by  destroying  fie,d-,n.ce 
mtasu.Lcoui  ^^j  liisaKteeable. 

r;tt;::™.:::" ;-  li "-....,  -.u,„  ..^. «-.. 

,«ve  by  some  naturalists  been  treated  as  species  : 

.  .      Tin-  Cross  Fox-n.russa/.s.-rhe  color  of  the  preceding 
,^,,,  ,  aark  stripe  on  the  neck  Irom  the  head  to  the  back  crossed 
t    i.ht  angles  by  another  dark  stripe  over  the   shoulders.    Th 
:  •      u    sometimes    only    feebly    distinct,   and   at    others   .e 
lied.     It  has  the  si.e,  .V,rm,  habits  and   fur  o.  the  r^d  fox      nd 
is  always  considered  by  the  hunters  as  a  variety        ^^^,^_^J^^l 
of  f.sh  on  has  attached  a  great  value  to  this  skm.     NS  h.le  the 

;:l  skin  is  valued  at  about  two  dollars,  ^'^-^    ^    ^^ 
known    to   sell    for    twelve,  and    somelmies    us   high    as   titteen 
I;;;;:".     U  occurs  m  every  part  of  the  state,  but  more  part.cu- 
larlv  in  the  northern  districts. 


-Trnr- 


'  FO.\. 

tips;  the  other,  much  longer, 
tail  II  Uusl-)  appearance. 

,:       '.        .        ■        ^'JO 

»  •  • 

i6o 

ably  hi    weij^ht  anil   size;   Hie 
jr  Jk'ven  p()lnul^•,  .uul  I  have 
,„     ponnils,    hn\    Mich    aie    not 
t   is   l.om   ei-ht   to  ten   pounils. 
,et  it  is  not  iinconinion  to  fnul 
jurrows  of   the   skii  ik    for  the 
Richardson  states  that  it  bin- 
ikes  refuge   uuiler  a  fallen  tree, 
vonng,  about  the  latter  end  of 
ite  of  New   1'ork.     These  are  at 
1,   lur.      In  a   litter    I  once  saw- 
white,  and,   like   the  dog,  were 

They  feed  on  the  smaller  quad- 
,ed  of  destroying  lambs.  They 
i  barn-vard,  but  in  this  respect 

species,  and,  perhaps,  in  some 
njuries  by  destroying   tield-mice 

I'lesh  is  rank  and  disagreeable, 
strongly  marked  varieties,  which 
eated  as  species : 

,,/„.,,— The  color  of  the  preceding, 
lom  the  liead  to  the  back, crossed 
stripe  over  the  shoulders.  This 
,ly  distinct,  and  at  others  well 
liabits  and  fur  of  the  red  fox,  and 
nters  as  a  variety.  The  caprice 
t  value  to  this  skin.  While  the 
wo  dollars,  the  cross  fox  has  been 
d  sometimes  as  high  as  fifteen 
•t  of  the  state,  but  more  particu- 


T//E  RED  FOX. 


'2.^ 


"2.  The  lilmk  Fi>\. — Godman,  vol.  I.,  p.  274,  pi.  tig.  i  — 
Almost  entirely  black;  the  end  of  the  tail  and  spots  on  the 
breast  occasionally  white,  sonietimes  intensely  hoarv.  This  is 
very  ran-  in  this  state.  I  have  never  met  witli  it,  but  have  been 
assured  by  hunters  in  the  northern  counties  tiiat  they  have  some- 
times killed  it.  Richardson,  page  94,  asserts  that  its  fur  fetches 
six  times  the  price  of  any  other  produced  in  North  America.  Its 
value,  doubtless,  increases  with  the  intensity  and  purity  of  the 
lilack  color." 

It  is  the  existence  of  these  two  varieties  only — tor  it  appears 
to  be  conceded  by  all  the  best  naturalists,  that  there  are  no 
specific  distinctions  between  the  red,  cross,  and  black  foxes— that 
inclines  me  to  the  belief  that  the  American  and  Englisi;,  or 
European  red  fox  is  not  identical ;  since  no  such  varieties  are  to 
be  found  in  tlie  otlu;r  hemisphere,  as  might  be  expected,  were  we 
to  regard  them  as  mere  freaks  of  nature. 

The  fox  is  proverbially  cunning,  both  in  his  predatory  move- 
ments, and  in  the  instinct  of  preservation,  which  prompts  iiim  to 
stratagems,  wlicn  closely  pursued  by  hounds  and  hunters,  so 
sagacious  as  to  b;itlle  the  scenting  qualities  of  the  finest  dog•^,  and 
to  outwit  man's  penetration. 

He  is  bold,  hardy,  and  indefatigable,  whetiier  in  inirsuit  of 
game,  or  in  escaping  from  his  enemies.  In  the  latter  category  I 
have  myself  been  in  the  field  more  than  once,  wiien  a  celebiated 
and  well-known  fox,  easily  distinguished  by  the  loss  of  a  portion 
of  his  brush,  amputated  in  a  steel  trap,  has  stood  before  a  good 
pack  of  hounds  from  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  it  became 
too  dark  to  continue  the  chase,  across  an  open  country,  without 
wood  or  coppice,  covering  about  forty  miles  of  distance  during 
that  time,  and  thoroughly  tiring  out  every  horse  in  the  field. 

It  was  my  fortune  to  be  present  at  the  last  run  afforded  by  this 
gi'Uant  fox,  and  to  assist — as  the  French  call  it— at  his  death.  On 
being  found,  he  took  his  usual  line  from  tlie  covert  which  he 
haunted,  due  westward  across  a  line  grazing  country,  consisting 
for  the  most  part  of  forty  and  fifty-acre  pasture-fields,  inclosed 
by  dry  stone  walls,  from  fourand-a-half  to  six  feet  in  height. 
There  had  been  a    warm    rain   over   night,  but    not  enougli  to 


THE  h'i':i>  /•■''■V. 

...ulo,-  ..u.  countrv  deep  ...•  l.c.v  v  ;  a.ui  a  stron,  but  mUd  west  wind 

was  l.louin^  directly  in  ,hc  tu.lh  of  tUo  U.x :  c.nnnst.n.  .s  ,h 

,,  „v..--ablo  that  .an  W  conceived  t..  tl>c  bounds,  and  :..<■  r-o,, 

,        uarrv-sincc  tbo  sun.c  gale  wbicb  in.,edes   b.s  progress 

:   ve   s  bis'.muviun,  .Vesb  and  .eeUing  -o  the   oHaCory  o.^ans 

ir.!;:  pursuers,  lendin,  .ben>   redoubled  stin.ub.s  o.  speed  an.i 

"^'c^nsec.uen.lv,   in    n,any    years   of  tox  luuUinu,   I    never    saw 

,.,,„,.  .  un  so  last  ..  tbey  did  on  tbat  morning,  -    .  pu.g  .be  walls 

en     r  twelve  a  breast,   and   unable   to  ,ive  tongue,  beyond  an 

;:;:ill   wbin,per,  owing  to  .be  tremendous    pace  tbey    we,e 

"^Thirteen   nules   were  done   in   one   bour  and   seven   n.inu.es. 

„„•.  re  tbe  gallant  ..>x    was  run  in.o,  witbout  a  cbecU.  a  turn   or  a 

;l.,inLwbole.ine,intbendddleoraa..gegras^^^^^^^^^^^ 

„nlv  tUe  borse-,  out  of  .l>c  seventy  or  n.ore  wb.eb    slatted  hon> 
"u  -e        r.  side,  being  on  tbo  spot  wben  tbe  wbo-wboop  was  g.ven 
^.l.e  rental  uler  bad  come  to  a  stand  still,  son.e  .artber,  sonu 
„;!'  along   tbe   entire  course  of  country    traversed,   and  ^uM 
^L  were  ,'ndered  entirely  useless  by  tbe  exert.ons  o.  tlu.  d=^^ 
Tbis  is  one  of  tbe  most  remarkable  runs  w..b  tox-bounds  on 
so  fnr  .s  speed  is  concerned;  twelve  miles  an  bour  be.ng 
:  ::;  ::^M  ,     M^st  rate  of   speed   attainable  even  ..r   sbort 
^^      .  bv  eitber  bounds  or  borses,  across  an  inclosed  count,,.; 
t^  ."n  ai'uenance  of  tbat  pace  for  tbir.een  consecut.ve   mdes 
:    i;:  circutustunce  almost  unparalleled  in  tbe  annals  o.  spor  .n^ 
n^fences  were,  n.oreover,  unusually  severe,  us,  bcMUg  o.  s..    1 
t  ne  .bev  afforded  tbe  bounds  no  oppor.uni.y  o.  1>— «    '-« 
i  .    ,:,.„„.,  tbem,  as  it  is  .ecbnieally  tern.ed.  bu,  --Pe^ed  t  . 
to  scratnble  over  tbeir  tops,  as  it  did  tbe  borses  to  take  Ibe.n 

'^''"."'i^oduction   of  nnely   bred   and    flee,    bound,   and  of 
,    ,       11         .     i,wi,-i.l  of  tbe  slow,  stauncbold  Soutbein 

■  nt  lasUe^tury.  bas  e.Vected  as  con^plete  a  revolu..on  n,  be 
lie  oltilisb  L.bnnting,  as  tbe  introduction  o.  steam  bas 
done  witb  tbe  system  of  travel. 


FOX. 


run  u/:/>  /■(>  \ 


a  n  strong' hilt  milil  west  wiiul 
r  ilio  Uiw  ciiciiinsliini-cs  tlu' 
to  tliehounils,  and  :'/<r  :■.;■.«.( 
whicli  iinpcilos  his  pro^rL'ss 
■kinj;  to  tho  oltaL-tory  ornaiis 
jubleil  stimulus  of  spiTil  uiul 

of  fox  lumtiuu,   I    ncviT    saw 

at  morning,  i    .  l''"S  ""■"  w:'""' 

L-   to  j{ive  tongue,  lic^onil  an 

truitiendous   pat-o  itii^y   wi'io 

mc  hour  anil  seven  niinnles. 
,,  without  a  check,  a  turn,  or  a 
inickllc  of  a  lar,t,'e  j;russ  ficUl ; 
y  or  more  which  slartcl  from 
rhen  the  wlio- whoop  was  given 
stand  still,  some  farther,  some 
f  country  traversed,  and  not 
ss  hy  the  exertions  of  the  day. 
kahl'e  runs  with  lox-hounds  on 
id;  twelve  miles  an  hour  heinj; 
leed  attainable,  even  for  short 
ses,  across  an  inclosed  country  ; 

for  thirteen  consecutive  miles 
•alleled  in  the  annals  of  sportini^. 
,uaUy  severe,  as,  being  of  solid 
opportunity  of  passing  Ihrou^di, 
lly  termed,  l)ut  compelled  them 

did  the  horses  to  take  them  in 

,red  and  fleet  hounds,  and  of 
the  slow,  staunch  old  .Southern 
eled,  punchy,  half-bred  hunters 
as  complete  a  revolution  in  the 
the   introduction   of  steam   has 


lii'-teailol  meeting  hi  the  gr.i\  ol' a  chill  Nnvetnher  niormn^ 
ImIihi'  llie  sun  lias  risen,  llie  luiideni  Niiiiiods  inusler  ,il  the 
I'ovei  1  >ide  al  l;:ilf-ii.i-.|  ten  or  eleven  n'eloik  ;  and.  if  llie  mciiI 
lie  good  aiiil  till'  sport  in  propoi  lion,  tlie  ilay  i^  over  hy  luo  or 
tlirei',  and  both  hounds  and  liur-.e-.  have  an  ample  ~ii(Vicieiie>  nl 
work,  aiul  the  i  ider^  ol'  e\cilriiieMl,  in  the  death  ol'  a  hr.iii'  ol 
llyiiig  foses,  in  a  couple  ol'  sharp,  short  and  decisive  huisls,  with 
a  kill  at  the  t'lid,  each  of  foil\  minutes'  to  an  hour's  duialion. 
While  ill  the  ila\s  ol' old,  sjx  or  seven  hours'  slow  tracking  ^fud 
lulling,  in  which  the  fox  was  fairly  wearied  ami  worn  oul.  ami 
badgered  lo  death,  was  the  order  of  the  day.  The  length  of  time 
oiiupied  \\as  tlien  the  test  of  a  good  run;  siaimiliiir>s  and 
endiiraiiee  the  crowning  praise  ol  a  pack;  ami  the  pri/i'  ol  spoil-,, 
maiisliip  helongeil  lo  the  man  who,  after  trotting  about  lanes  and 
by  wa\s,  nicking  the  turns  of  the  chase,  and  cutting  oil'  corners, 
wilhoiit  perhaps  ciossjuj^  one  Held  In  company  with  the  hounds, 
or  leaping  a  single  fence,  came  in  at  the  death  after  all. 

The  number  of  miles  run  in  a  niiniinum  of  time,  a  burst  with- 
out a  check,  and  a  kill  in  the  open,  ,ire  now  ihe  gr.uid  disiderala; 
extreme  lleetiiess,  su|)eradded  lo  high  scenting  i|ualilies,  is  Ihi' 
chief  merit  of  hounds ;  ami  the  best  rider  is  he  ulio  //:c\,  as  it  is 
!.;iios|lcally  leiined,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  run.  in 
the  same  liekl  with  Ihe  pack,  riding  nearly  abreast,  and  taking 
every  fence  in  his  stroke,  as  it  occurs,  without  craning  or  lalleriiiL;. 

In  the  Morthein  and  eastern  slates  of  Ibis  countrv,  fox. hunting 
is  not  pursued  generally  as  a  sport,  but  rather  as  a  method  of 
de.-lroyinga  noxious  animal,  and  the  gun  is  I'm  the  most  p:n  I 
called  in  aid  of  a  brace  or  two  of  slow,  old-l;.shioned  southern 
hounds. 

In  the  southern  slates,  however,  Maryland,  Virginia,  both  the 
Carolinas  and  Georgia,  fox-hunting  is  pursueil  with  much  eager- 
ness and  delight,  if  with  less  system  and  accuracy  of  appointment, 
as  in  Knglaiul. 

Many  regular  packs  of  hounds  are  kept  by  individual  gentle- 
men in  these  states,  and  scarcely  any  planter  is  without  his  well- 
blooded  hunter  whereon  to  join  the  chase. 

In  the  less  thickly  settled  states  of  (Georgia,  Florida,  Ala- 
bama, and  Mississippi,  the  favorite  sport  is  deer-luinting;  anil  in 


Mi< 


12^' 


THE  liHI)  f-'<>\ 


,„v  of  .lus.  it  .s  .carc.lv  poKsible  to  Uavcl  a  .lav's  -icW,  wilhou. 
Zuu,  .lu-  jocund  chorus  of.lu-  l.o.nul.  a,ul  .lu.  n.cr,,  sl.ou.  o. 
thf  luinlcr  rfcclioiii«  tlnouuli  Hie  lorcst. 

A  vc.  n.orc  «c,unU  nu.hocl  is  the  .brnmil.M.  ...  sub>cnp..on 

„,..u/oacl,  ucn.lcnan  m>  a  n.  i«l,l,orl..>o.l  kc.,.i"«  tuo  or  nu..c 

:„:....■  i..H..uls  a.  vvalU.  wl.icl.  .culi.v  .all,  ,o  ,l.c  l.u.lc  1-  -vn 

.a.l-, -.cr.  on  lu.n.in,  .no.nin^s,  an.l.  in  .lu-  «>U.  w.>o.i Ian.. 

;,,.„U.s.' which  constitute   the    ..-.ate,    M.r.ac  o.    t he   huntn  « 

.,oun.ls.  do  their  work  as  sa.is.actorilv  as  nu.e  re«ularlv  cn.t 

u,.e.i  packs,  wher...  tVoni  Hk-  nature  of  the  land,  c.,ual>  v  o   s,,e...  , 

il  .  aid  svnunetvv  are  less  needrul-since  i.  is  rare  that  hounds 

;;;„  ,un  ab,east-than  in  the  clear  and  cultivated  chan,pa.,ns  o. 

old  iMiiiland. 

To  this  cause,  n.oreover.  i.  is  to  be  ascribed,  that  here,  as  n, 
,.„,land  of  the  oldc-n  .lav,  staunchness  and  endurance  arcqunht.es 
,„on.  den,anded  th.n  cN.retnc  speed;  for  the  character  ...  tlu 
,.,„,,,,  and  nature  of  the  soil  «ives  the  fox  every  opp....-n..v 
.„■  ,o,;«in..  runnin,  his  own  back-trail,  and  otherw.s.  baObn^ 
„H.  houn>K.  .hile  the  «real  extent  of  woodlands,  a.ul  the  extra- 
crdinarv -.  veri.v  of  the  .iense,  tan.led,  and  th.,rny  coverts,  prevent 

ihe  spo;-,sn.en  fn.n,  ridin.,  up  to  the  hounds,  and  make  >t  neces- 
sarv  for  .lu.u  U.  follow  often  by  hearing'  rather  than  by  v.ew. 

■(Mall  sports  there  is  none  so  fascinating,  none  so  ma.l  y 
cxcitin,,  as  fo.-huntiu,,  with  a  full  cry  of  hounds  makn.g  th.. 
ere  woods  crash  with  the  .nelody  of  their  woodland  chorus- 
bo  nds,  horses,  men  alike  r.joicin^  and  exul.in,  in  the  hot  chase 
\„;  ,,,„  aevelopn.ent  it  calls  into  existence  of  then-  power  and 
pride.  Long  life  to  it  wherever  it  exists,  and  health  and  happ- 
ness  to  all  who  honor  it! 


•^ 


f(>\: 

)  uavil  .1  Jav'-  li'li'.  withoul 
,nulb,  ami  llu'  men  v  hliciut  ol 
rest. 

he  Ibriiiaiioii  (>rt-\ib>ciipli<'ii 
irliootl  kcu|)in«  l«o  or  inori' 
idilv  rallv  lotiR'  biinlc  1)1')nmi 
jinaml,  in  llu-  wild  wooiilaml 
atL'r  Mirlaii-  nl'  tlio  hunting 
irilv  Us  more  ri'K»l»>l>  loii^ii 
of  the  land,  i-quiilitvol^iKiil, 
— shice  il  is  ran-  that  houiuls 
aiul  tultivatfd  i-liampai<;ns  ol 

^  be  afcrihid,  thai  here,  as  in 
LSK  ami  eiuhiraiu-e  arcqualtlies 
■ed;  for  Iho  character  ol  the 
les  the  Ibx  every  opportimilv 
k-trail,  and  olherwiBC  balllinn 

ol  woodland.-,  and  the  extra- 
ed,  and  thorny  coverts,  prevent 
he  hounds,  and  make  it  neces- 
arin^'  rather  than  by  view. 
)  fascinating,  none  so  madly 
ull  cry  of  hounds  making  the 
V  of  their  woodland  chorus— 
\  and  exuUin>,'in  the  hot  chase, 
ito  existence  of  their  power  and 

exists,  and  health  and  happi- 


.  I  /ViV/'  TO  (  II.  I  '/'AM  //  RICllEh'. 


OR, 


sxiric  sii(>()/i.\(;  ox   the  st  i..\\viu:xce. 


''pill';  time  had  arrived  when,  as  must  he  the  ea-e  with  the  best 
•  friends,  Harry  and  I  were  doomed  to  part,  thoiii;h  hiil  lor  a 
biief  season — the  special  aim  ami  object  of  my  trip  across  the 
broad  Atlantic  (beinj;  no  other  than  to  see  .\meriea  in  all  its 
len^jth  and  breadth),  though  Ion;,'  delayed  at  llarr\'s  strong 
solicitation,  and  the  majjnificont  sport  I  had  enjoyed  under  his 
auspices  on  the  broad  marshes  of  New  Jersey,  and  in  the  devious 
wooillands  of  fair  Warwick,  was  now  to  be  accomplished — ,'ind 
one  cold  winter's  at'ternoon  I  stepped  on  board  the  steamboat 
Mohican,  for  Sloninglon  am)  l!i)-.toii,  whence  I  intended  to  visit 
in  detail  tlve  eastt  rn  portion  of  I  he  New  ICnyland  stales;  and 
crossm^  by  the  K'"'^'-"'  "'  •'"-'  l^ennebec,  to  p.iss  the  spriiij;  and 
summer  in  the  rich  provinces  of  Caiuida.  It  was  my  firm  intent 
on  leavint;  my  iVietul's  liospitabl ■■  roof,  to  lia\e  ;4one  (juite  up  to 
Aroostook,  and  taken  there  a  snow  shoe  tramp  al'rer  the  nmose 
and  cariboo,  lint  many  causes  fell  out  to  the  prevention  of  mv 
plan,  not  the  least  of  which  was  the  exceeding  mililness  of  the 
winter,  and  consequent  want  of  snow  sulViciently  deep  to  render 
the  sport  either  profitable  or  exciting.  The  cold  inon'hs  of  this 
year  were  therefore  passed  in  absolute  inaction,  at  least  a.s  regards 
Held  sports.  'I'he  double  gun  ;ind  Yager  rille  which  honest 
'I'imothy  had  with  his  own  hands  packed  in  double  cases,  duly 
secured  by  painted  sail-cloth  covers,  saw  not  the  light  of  dav ! 
The  brace  of  clean-lind)ed,  active  setters  (which,  af'.er  much 
debate  and  consultation,  I  had  al  length  picked  up— my  choice 


Hi 


,^5  .1    Ih'/I'   7"  (If  \Ti:  \l!  U'K  IIHh'. 

Ha>i.  ii...u..l  l.v  llarrV-  .no.l  oriuM.Iar  a,>l""l'.""-'     """  '"""  "'"' 
par,.no,H.ri.K.»k.T.,  Mik.'  S>,.,tu..l  -H,r...ul..ril.«t  ..a.no  rrn..wn..l 
thnn.ulu.u.     Sou    .|rrs...v  -  th-    other    from    ..in    Kn«liKl.    nva  , 
Dllkc-trulv.  tl.ou«l.  OilV.ri„K  in  ll-cir  nuMho.!.,  l.oll,  A.ra.t.an.), 
,,aa  M..  in.»n-  ul"ri>'u-  .-xci.iH.  than  t...tlii.i,'  -"".ly  a  ".■•iv  miU' 
,,,,,i,„i  ,1.0  uc-ll-homa  .nailHoltho  N-'W  KnKl'Uut  ••t"'^--  ^•"«;"" 
Nvhich  plcasurahl.  inlcrn.pti..,.H  t„  Ih.ir  hvlK-rnal  shunlKTH.  Ihf.v 
vvoul.l  u,ulor.ht.cllv  havo  rivalU.l  KaMalV  .>,•  r'al  T.....  \n  ma«n.. 
,.,.1.,  hHorc  Iho  hrcakin^  up  ..i  wn.Ur.    Thouwh  .uuhvc•r^>ru.cl  bv 
,„v  hclov.-a    fu.Uisp.Ml..  the   Nvinter    wor.-  a«av.  h..wovi-r-n.ul 
Ihal,  ho  it  ^aill.  not  l0ih..u.l.v-th.-  . ar.lv  sprin;;,  Wsk  lar.ly  m  this 
i,..ta.uv  than  it.  wont,  did  hroak;  an.!  o>,  iho  tourlo.M.th  .lav  o. 
Apvil  I  start.'.!  on  n.v  rout.-  I..war.l     .<•  o.  r-MK-un-rahlc   IUM«hl. 
of  Ahrahan.-thf   sanu-  routo,  t..o,  hv  whi.-h  th.-  th.-n  rcnowno.i 
•,n.l  Kailaut  Ar....Ul  U.l  his  .Iclachnifnl  of  ha.kw..o.lsnK-n  n.to  a 
|,.,stil.-  .'ouutrv.      Grcath   ha.l   I  he.-n   .niHinlbn.K-il  conccrmnH 
,hat   sa.n.   r..a.i,    lor   hoaulilul    althou«h    it   bc-yua!    hoaut.tul 
cNCColinKlv-runninK  alon^  tho  >^il.l  a.-!  wo-ad  ^.-r^.-  ol  tlu- 
,„.oa.l,  hrighl  Konn.'hc-c-.  up  to  itK  jur.cl.on  will.    Dca.    r.v.r    1 
„„„l    .av.  that  a.  a  roa.l  it  is  .nost  txccrable.    Th.-ugh  barely 
ciKhtv  n^ilos  iVo.n  my  startinj;  post,  it  ...-.•upicl  ..,.•  tw.,  lull  .lavs 
totcaVhthelbrksorthc   Konnolnx-tiKMue   I   a.lvau.c.l  anoth.. 
.Un,   Ibrtv    tnilcs   further    thn,.,.4h    pin.'    .orests.  „ver   n.ounla.n 
Ueijihts,  skirting  fair  w..od  cnbosonu.l  lakes,  .Iraggcl  m  a  shMgh 

"^'^""    ^  Ihroiiiili  Inisli,  lliKMiyl.  lirinr. 

,  ;ir(ni;jli  iiuiil,  tliri>iij;h  iiiirc. 

to  the  Lines,  where,  in  a  miserable  hovel,  1  was  cnstraine.l  t.> 
linger  siK-an.l  thirty  tnnst  in.tnortal  hours,  with  no  l.,o.l  save 
Hom-  bread  and  s.noke.l  tish  stewed  in  ran.i.l  oil,  till  horses  sh....k 
an-.ve  to  take  .ne  onward  Iron,  :..  franeis.  An  -hen  they  dd 
anive.  heavens!  what  a  cor..,-.  Wc  procec.-d.  No  less  tun 
three  clunrU..,  or  sn,all  tw....heele.l  Canadian  carts,  dragg..!  by 
bree  lamentable  carcases,  at  which  the  ,uu,^n.sl  pack  <,.  hounds 
on  earth  woul.l  have  turned  ..p  their  noses,  conveyed  me  and  my 
baggage  twelve  miles  in  six  hours  to  the  mail-house.  Ihere, 
thanks  to  the  kind  Ibresight  of  a  friend  in  C^i-ebec,  was  met  by 
a  capital  relay  of  lleet,  st.ong  horses,  .ith  a  good  saddle-horse 


.1//  /,•/(///■:/>' 


A  I  nil'  in  (  i/,\n:.\f  iin  iiEii 


\i<t 


ii|)|iic>li.itiiMi  mil'  iKim  lliiii 
riiiinlol  Unit  imnu-  riliowiit  il 
or  iVom  iiitt  F.iiKlixh  rival, 
ir  im'llioil*,  l)i>lli  Ariiiitiiuis), 

trotliiis;  maiiv  ii  wi'arv  iiiili' 
New  Knxlamt  tttalcn,  willioui 
|>,ii-  livluTiial  stiimbiTH,  llif.v 
iMalV  or  Fal     Tom  i"  i"a«iii- 
cr.    Tlimiuli  iindiviTNifnil  1),\ 
r    woif  a«ay,  howoviT— ami 
inlv  spriii;;,  li-*!*  tiirtlv  in  tlii- 
11.1  oil   \\\<!  t'ourk'iMilli  ila>   ol 
u-  I'vir-moiiioiaMu   lU'iulil'' 
l)v  wl\ii-ti  till'  tluMi  rcnowiKil 
iHMit  of  bav  Uvvooilsiiii'ii  into  a 
con    inisiiiloinii'il   i-oiictiniii;; 
luiiiiili    it    l>f  — voa!    iKMiitiliil 
iUl  aiMl  woculcil  noiKf  ol   llii' 

iur.c-lion  willi  Di'ail  liMT,  1 
St  txic-rable.  I'liougii  barclv 
I,  it  oii-iipicil  nil'  two  TiiU  ilav^ 
•_tiu'iu-e   I   ailvaiK'i'ii  aiiotlici 

|)iiic  loii-sts,  over  mouiUaiii 
iiua  lakes,  iliaggcil  in  a  slvi^li 

niimli  tirhir. 
-c>iij;h  iiiirc. 

lo  liovol,  I  was  constraiiieii  to 
rial  lioiiis,  witli  no  Iboil  have 
I  in  ramiil  oil,  liH  Horses  shouki 
.  rraiu'is.  And  when  they  did 
We  proccev'.ed.  No  less  than 
U(!  Canadian  carts,  draf,'f,'ed  by 
h  the  //«H4n7V.s7packolhonnds 
.■ir  noses,  conveyed  me  and  my 
rs  to  the  mail-house.  There, 
friend  in  (^iiebec,  1  was  met  by 
irses,  with  a  good  saddle-horse 


lor  irn-,ir,  runiiHliitl  jiy  Mr.  V.'olway  -the  |irince  ol"  piutmaslers 
Nsliiiji.iviiin  xellled  many  yearn  at(<>  al  the  tlnii  desolate  M. 
losei'h'-,  has  now  loiii;  reaped  tliehiiils  ol' hit  iiidiistrions  energy 
a  happ\  home,  a  thiivitiK  farm,  the  K<><>d-will  and  respect  ol 
all  aioiiiMl  him;  and,  more  than  all,  the  uraiel'iil  love  ol  the 
l''retirli  /idhiliiiils,  who  look  np  to  their  A/ii/isniirr  'y>l>i  with 
leeliiii{s  iiikI'  »l»in  h»  the  olil  leiidal  loyalty,  better  ileserved, 
too,  by  the  kind-hearted,  sturdy  and  frank  l'!ii){lishman,  than  by 
llie  t  out  iliesi  Traiik  that  i\  er  owned  a  si  ijuneuiy .  Ileaveiis!  how 
ileliiioii--  sfi'iiHil  that  simikiii;,'  sirloin  which  ;;raci(l  his  hospii 
,ilile  board ;  plii  ii  puddiiit;,  loo,  for  it  was  Enstvr  Monday;  and  a 
I  ipe  V'lu  shire  chet'se,  with  no  I'oiitiinptible  comiiioilily  ol' oKI 
lani.iii.i  lo  hold  tlu'se  solids  In  solulion.  Dinner  eoiicludeil,  my 
nood  liosi  inloriiied  inc  lli.il  eanoi's  were  readN  ;  I'oi  lol  the  .;ieal 
C'haiuliere.  ,ulow  ii  whose  broad  and  eullnrid  vale  I  luul  loi 
some  mills  past  been  joni  ney  ini;,  swollen  by  the  iilinsn;illy  eaiiv 
Ibaw.  bad  laid  the  whole  road  under  water.  The  wind  was  liesli 
,iiid  eolij,  and  dead  aiL^ainst  us, and  I  was  ^lad  to  wrap  my  box  coal 
clove  about  me,  to  pull  my  I'lir  cap  over  my  sluM-rinn  ear--,  and  to 
cronch  down  lie-.iile  the  doj^s  in  the  boat's  bottom.  Anon  a  ileiise 
snow Mpiall  came  on,  hilling  the  banks  on  eithei  hand,  and  peltinj; 
us  unmercil'ully  with  its  sliarj),  sleety  arrows;  still,  with  lluir 
measureil  cliani,  limtd  lo  the  dip  of  their  slurily  paddle-,  the 
boalinen  plied  their  arms;  and  the  sun  had  not  yet  sniik  behind 
Ihc  western  hills,  when  gl'idly  I  iiualVed  in  the  clean,  comfortable 
tavern  .it  ,St,  Mary's,  a  jornm  of  hot  brandy  tiiddy,  and  -peedily 
thereafter  turned  into  a  sweet,  well-aired  bed,  the  first  I  had  skpt 
ill  lor  many  a  nighi,  which  weariness  alone  had  reiulend  vsake- 
less.  On  the  next  inorniiifj  brii,'ht  were  we  up  and  early,  ami  yet 
sO  b;'d  was  the  hit4li  road,  the  snow  ivin^  tlieieon  in  places  live 
feet  deep,  with  ruts  ent  down  ipiile  to  the  level  of  tin;  soil,  that 
lliouyli  but  thirty  miles  of  distance,  it  was  live  hours  alter  noon 
before  1  reached  I'oiiit  Levi,  ami  saw  the  battled  bei;;hls  of  that 
superb  C'ape  Diamoiul,  which  years  will  not  etVace  from  my 
remembrance,  towerini^  ;ibove  the  mist  which  shrouded  the 
irregular  gables,  the  narrow  streets,  and  busy  (piays  of  the  lower 
town,  with  the  gigantic  flood  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  turbid  ami 
vexed  by  isles  of  lloating  ice,  wheeling  in  soletnn  majesty  beneath 


,1    /•/.•//'   TO  CHATEAU  RICH  Eli 

,U..vM   l-.r.suk.,  and  l.carty  wclco.no,  tho  k.iu.m.o  "11..",!.^ 
no  IS   u,>.eon  for    n>anv   a  day,  but    unf.n-«otton,  .'.laced   al 
:    :         io      ^  a  twinUHn.  of  the  ..tigues  and  disa«,ce.ne.Us  o. 
:      1  .    iournov  by  th.  Kennebec,  .vl.ch    has    become   now- 
,  ,     it  WIS  -U  the   time,  and  toilsome-one  ol  the  nKU.s , 

...hous  as  ,1  .a.  ;.';'^^J        ,^,^  ^^,.i,,  ,,,  fe,,  ,he  deep  truth 
man  V  passages  in  hie  concerning 
a,Hl  phiiosopl>y  of  th.e  sweet  Mantuan's  seutnnent, 
Oliiii  ct  hac  iiR'iiunssc  juviibit. 

Wl,ere  all  was  new  and  beautiful  and  famous-and  oh,  how 

^n  '  nt  V  toward  neld-sports.      Many  delightful  days  were  pven 
instanti>  i  „,„l,tv— a  thousand  times  more 

U,  socielv,  many  to  visU.ng  the  m.ghtN      a  tn 
,„i,,hlv  ihan  1  had  fancied  them-fort.hcat.ons  ot  the  sf.on,  1    U 
Ip^'  ,tthe    citadel,    with    its    unrivalled    panoramic    v,ew-th 
';  of    Abraham,   rich    with    the    n.enu,ries  oi    those    whose 

'  re  historv-and  all    the  sublime  scenery  around   them. 

r:;::n:Li;wereinthe.winUlingofaneyethe^.u.v 

.hich  lav  so  deep  when    1    arrived    in   every    vale  and    Irollo.. 
:  n    hedasif  bvn^agic-,    when  the  trees,  which  not  three  da>s 
,    "re  had  been  bare  and  dry  and  sapless,  burst  out  as  .   str.cKen 
h     so  me  beneficent   enchanter's  wand,    nto  bright,  tender  green- 
V     Ihen  the  incessant  chorus  of  the  vernal   frogs  was  blen     d 
th  the  weak  but  cheerful  strain  of  the  American  robm ;   wl    n 
h    w  nds  began  to  breathe  with  a  soft,  balmy  whisper,  and  the 
un  U      ax  v'-v  warn,  at  mid-day ;   then  did  the  mnate  passion 
.  :  „p  the  inward  luan,  and  I  began  to  c.uery  -"«;-;;  ^ 
spring  sports  of  Canada.      Not  much,  however,  did       lea  n    o 
nco!rage  me  in  the  pursuit-a  few  unhappy  woodcock-whici, 
b      1  '.hile    I    write,  the   Canadian   sportsmen     lush    no     o 
laughter,  when  they  should  be  most  safe  irom  violence   ,us    u 
,' e  act  o    mating,  and  some  rare,  scattered  snipe  to  be  tound  at 
■intervals  by  some  land-runnel  or  snow-swollen  streamlet  ,n 
e  bl  e  open  fields,  were  all  the  hopes  held  out  to  me  by  the  sage 
.dsof    he   auebec   sporting  world.     "Had   you   been  three 
Lth    later  "X  all  held  to  the  same  tale--' we  could  have 


/■:.\ir  RICHER 


.1    r/iV/'   TO  CHATEAU  RICHER. 


c  uuiii^ioii  <>l'  '">■  iVieiul,  the 
Jino,  the  Kti>"''>"  "'''  Kns?Ush 
,  but    unforKotton,  oUaceii   all 

latigiifs  ami  clisafrreL-intMUs  o\ 
;c,  which  has  become  now— 
J  toilsome— one  of  the  maii.v, 

wiiich  we  feel  the  deep  truth 
nan's  sentiment, 

insse  juvabit. 

iful  and  famous— and  oh,  how 

0  environs  of  that  American 
ined  that  my  thoughts  turned 
my  delightful  days  were  given 
ilyhtv- a  thousand  times  more 
-fortifications  of  the  strong  Hill 
irivalled  panoramic  view— the 
Ihe  memories  of  those  whose 
sublime  scenery  around   them. 

(winkling  of  an  eye,  the  snow 
,.cd  in  every  vale  and  hollow, 
he  trees,  which  not  three  days 

1  sapless,  hurst  out  as  if  stricken 
wand,  nto  bright,  tender  grcen- 
Df  the  vernal  frogs  was  blended 
n  of  the  American  robin;  when 
1  a  soft,  balmy  whisper,  and  the 
.y;  then  did  the  innate  passion 
began  to  query  concerning  the 
much,  however,  did  I  learn  to 
few  unhappy  woodcock— which, 
nadian  sportsmen  blush  not  to 
most  safe  from  violence,  just  in 
c,  scattered  snipe,  to  be  found  at 
lel  or  snow-swollen  streamlet  in 

hopes  held  out  to  me  by  the  sage 

world.     "Had   you   been  three 

,  the  same  tale—"  we  could  have 


:.hown  \ou  such  snipe  shoothig  as  the  world  cannot  sln)w  besides. 
Vou  may  kill  sixty  couple  any  day  in  July  or  August,  at  Chateau 
Richer,  on  Crane  island;  but  now  it's  ot  no  use  at  all;  you  may 
walk  all  day  and  get  a  wretched  couple,  or  two  couple  at  the 
best!'"  ••  Mut  why.' "  I  still  persisted,  "Why.'  Oon't  the  birds 
come  on  here  in  sprinir  Hocks.'"'  "Only  in  straggling  whisps, 
live  or  six  at  a  time,  wild,  watcht'ul,  scattered,  making  no  stay 
among  us."  "True,  in  the  lields  I  can  believe  you  readily;  but 
in  the  marshes,  at  this  Chateau  Richer,  which  \ou  speak  of.'" 
"  None  are  ever  killeil  there  in  the  spring."  "  But  whv  not.'  Did 
von  ever  go  there  in  spring.'  Did  anybody  ever  go.'"  "  No;  no 
one  ever  goes  in  spring;  it  was  no  use,"  etc.,  and  so  in  all  the 
plentitude  of  my  self-wisilom,  a>'.d,  as  I  fancied,  of  experience,  I 
convincid  myself  that  the  reason  no  birds  were  killed  in  spiin;^' 
was  simply  that  no  one  went  to  kill  them;  and  that  I  should  fiml 
all  the  marshes  full,  and  do  great  things.  To  this  tioiable  con- 
clusion I  partially  succeeded  in  bringing  a  young  friend  of  mine, 
a  good  shot  and  staunch  walker,  and  highly  promising,  although 
voung  sportsman.  So  we  two — very  ([uietly  determining  to  give 
the  old  shots  a  lesson — set  torth  one  lovely  alternoon  to  introduce 
spring  snipe-shooting  o;i  the  St.  [..awrence.  .\fler  a  heartv 
luncheon  on  nuittonehops  and  right  good  ale,  we  chartered  a 
m(iychcdo>H\  a  two  wheeled  vehicle  not  much  unlike  to  a  New 
ICngland  chaise  or  New  "^'ork  gig,  save  that  it  has  no  hea;i,  .ind 
in  lieu  of  a  dashboard  a  horizontal  strip  of  wood  six  or  seven 
inches  wide,  whereon  the  driver  sits,  encouraging  his  active,  stout 
and  docile  cob  by  the  two  talismanic  words  whence  comes  the 
title  of  the  vehicle.  Into  this  we  ensconced  ourselves,  with  gun- 
cases  and  carpet-bags,  and  due  provision  of  tea,  sugar,  brandy 
and  bottled  porter;  and  then — my  two  setters  and  I'riend  .Meck's 
spaniels,  'Pop  senior  and  Top  junior,  trotting  along  behind  us, 
followed  by  a  most  heterogenous  group  of  turnspits,  mastifts, 
terriers  and  curs  of  low  degree — through  the  sweet  suburb  of 
.St.  Roche,  ?.way  we  wen:  across  the  long  bridge  over  tlie  .St. 
Charles  river,  through  IJeaufort,  with  its  handsome  church  mid- 
way the  opposite  hill,  toward  the  sublime  fal!  of  the  Montmorenci. 
Here,  for  a  while,  we  paused  to  gratify  ourselves  with  a  sight 
never  too  often  to  be  seen,  of  that  most  lovely  cataract,  and  to 


it' 


,ii 


,,,  .1    7V.7/'   TO  illMKM'  h'/illEh' 

,,.„vsl,  o»,  .'oo>l.  i-lnn.kv  liUle  l.ois.,  wl.o  luul  IroU.aal.-K  nu,.t 
„M,v>,.itlin-lv,  will.  U..VC  sK.ut  .nrn  a.ui   ll..-i.  l.auga^.   at  a  vaW 
.„■  ,.,,1  lo./nul.s  tlK-  hour.     AIUm  a  litllo  May  wo  starl.ci -ami   1 
shall  .u.l  inlli.V  upon   ...,■  .vadrr,  if  l.api'il.v    1   l-.ul  one,  ll.c  hun- 
.l,v>l  ti.no.  a.>>iTibcci  ck-c.i|.ti..n  of  llu-  falls-atui  tor  iW  sketch 
whicl.  1  took  on  the  spot,  it  pc.lains  iu   nowise  to  snipe  shooLn^, 
so  pa.s  it-.ntenton  reaehinK  Chateau   Richer  in  lime  to  «el  an 
,,„„,  „,    ,wo  of  shooting    hefore    Mni^et.       The    road    was    very 
lovelv     the   r-eaM)u    and    the    eveniuL;  es.ii.isite.      Ten   miles   we 
.,,,,ve    alo..«    ll.e    mar^e  of   the   ,na;;nit>een.    St.   Lawrence,  lus 
l„oad   a.ul  s-alike   waters  rippling  and    sparklin-  to  our  riKht, 
w.lh  a  fair  verK'e  of  cultured  llelds,  n.eadows  a.ul  garden  -grounds, 
n.d  here  a,ul  there  an  orchard  lyinn  ''o.ueen  the.n  and  the  road; 
while  to  onr   left  a  sleep   and   abrupt    hat.k,  frinucd   with  dense 
underwood.  overhun>;  us,  a  thousand  small,  transparent  torrents 
hrawliuK  and  u>'-«lin«  down  its  tlanks,  were  lost  in   the  n"K>'tv 
,  iver      Hundreds  of  whitewashed  cotta-es,  yahle-end  to  the  road 
looked    out    upon    the    meadows  and  the  .^^orj-eous   strea.n    and 
,„  ,nv  an  elm  tree,  centmies  old,  droope.l  with  its  newly-buddn.j; 
,.;,,UuKls  over    the    winding    wheel-track.       In    short,  th.   n>  hole 
roac'   is  a  village,  a   long,  long,  strangling    village;  every  house 
clean  atul  tidv  to  a  wonder,  with  whitewashed  walls  .nd   white 
blinds  to  the"  well  gla/.ed   casements,  and    neatly-painted   stands 
xvith  llowe.s   moss  roses  and  li.ie  clove  carnations  adornmg  every 
uMulow;  and   peasant  maids,  with  their  black,  roguish  eyes  atul 
hroad-leafed  hats  of  home  made  straw,  and  short,  full  petticoats 
of  lunnespun,   laughing  and    courtesying  to  the  strangers  Iron, 
overv    open    door.      And    this  is    the    country,  this  the    peopb', 
which  a   few  demagogues  among  them-.lves,  and  a  lew  Inntors 
in  the  councils  of  the    mother  country,  would  make  us  hchevo-- 
would  make  the.nselves  helieve-to  be  oppressed  and  wretched 
The  merriest,  the  happiest,  Ihc    most   contented,  the  most  qmet- 
minded  people   whom  the  sun   looks  on   in  his  whole  career  ol 
Plorv      Without  a  tax  to  pay,  without  a  want  which  their  own 
Hud   supplies   not,  almost   an   illustration   of  old    Arcadian  pas- 
torals-spinning their  own  cloth  from  the  wool  shorn  from  then- 
own  sheep,  tanning   their  own   leather,  weaving  their  own  hats, 
grinding  their  own  grain,  raising  every  article  they  wear,  or  eat. 


"W'' 


M!  h'/ 1' II Eh' 

I  who  liati  UolHilaloiin  mo^t 

ami  llK'i'  haugam',  at  a  lalc 
Hull-  stay  wc  starlcil— aiul  I 
lapiiilv  1  riiul  one,  llic  luin- 
lu'   falls- -ami   for  tin'  skL'ttli 

in  nowise  lo  sniin-  sliuoliiifi, 
■ail  RiiluT  in  lime  to  t;el  an 
ni-et.  'I'lie  loail  was  very 
il;  esqnisite.  Teti  miles  we 
a-nilieeni    St.   Lawrence,  his 

and    sparkling  to  our  right, 
neadows  ami  garden  ijronnds, 
;  helween  them  and  the  road  ; 
ipt    hank,  frin'j;ed  with  dense 
ul  small,  transparent  torrents 
niks,  were  lost  in   the   mighty 
ottages,  gable-end  to  the  road, 
nd  the  gorgeous   stream,  and 
ooped  with  its  ncwly-hndding 
Itraek.       In    short,  tlu   whole 
■aggling    village;  every  liouse 
whitewashed   walls  iuid   while 
ts,  and    neatly-painted   stands 
love  earnations  ailorning  every 

tlieir  blaek,  roguisli  eyes  and 
raw,  and  short,  full  petticoats 
tesving  to  the  strangers  from 
tlie    country,  this  the    people, 
them-elves,  and  a  few  /niilois 
intrv,  would  make  us  believe— 
to  be  oppressed  and  w  retched ! 
ost   contented,  the  most  quiet- 
oks  on   in  his  whole  career  of 
hout  a  want  which  their  own 
istration   of  old    Arcadian  pas- 
from  the  wool  shorn  from  their 
ather,  weaving  their  own  hats, 

every  article  they  wear,  or  eat, 


A   TRIP  TO  CI  I  A]  EM'  h'ICIIEE. 


I. '^3 


or  use— brandy  and  tea  alone  excepted— their  laws,  tiieir  language, 
their  religion  guaranteed  them,  they  can  he  lashed  into  rebellion 
only  by  their  worst  enemies,  the  agitators,  under  most  specious 
lies!  Tlu;  loudest  clamorers  ilarc  not  assert  to  these  poor,  harm- 
less, liappy  peasants  that  they  nrr  iiijun'd  or  oppressed-hut 
only  that  they  -.I'ill Ih\ 

Now,  the  lie  runs,  that  i:ng!and  is  about  to  overthrow  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church;  now  to  explode  the  language;  and 
with  a  people — few  of  whom  read,  few  of  whom  visit  the'  large 
towns,  none  of  whom  are  capable  of  understanding  England's 
policy  or  the  state  of  all'airs  on  an  extended  scale— the  lie  becomes 
a  current  truth,  and  the  good,  honest  iieasaat  sutlers,  to  pander  to 
the  demagogue's  ambition. 

Hut  to  return  to  our  siiooting.  At  about  four  o'clock  we  reaclu^l 
the  beginning  of  the  marshes.  The  road  swejit  olf  toward  the 
hills,  which  here  receded  tVom  the  river,  enclosing  a  witie  tract 
of  Hat  alluvial  land,  a  mile  or  two  in  length  by  perhaps  hall 
that  width— the  inner  edge  of  this  area  fenced  otV  and  cultivated; 
the  outer,  next  the  river,  unenclosed,  intersected  by  many 
creeks  and  streamlets,  now  full  and  glittering  to  the  sunshine,  lor 
the  llood  tide  was  running,  and  overllowed  at  times — being  the 
famous  snipe  ground.  At  the  far  end  of  this  our  driver  told  us 
wr  shouM  find  easily  the  house  of  Pivrre  Dubois,  with  whom  wi' 
wi  ■  to  pass  the  night,  and  we  resolved  to  beat  it  faithfully 
to-iiight,  that  so  we  might  learn  the  best  spots  ;nnl  choicest 
haunts  of  our  predestined  victims  against  to-morrow's  dawn. 
Well,  out  we  jumped  and  loadetl,  pulled  up  our  fen  boots  to 
mid-thigh,  whistled  our  dogs  to  heel,  climbed  the  Canadian 
palings  (no  easy  iask,  by  the  way)  which  intervened  between  the 
high  road  and  the  marsii ;  and  strode  on,  conlident  of  sport,  and  in 
anticipation  gloriously  triumphant  over  the  old  slow-coaches  of 
(.^lebec. 

.Scarcely,  however,  had-  I  made  three  steps  across  the  last 
fence  ere  1  saw  that  tiie  laugh  was  against  us.  From  the  very 
nature  of  the  ground,  it  was  at  the  first  glance  self-eviilent  not 
only  that  there  could  be  no  snipe  on  it  now,  but  that  it  never 
could  be  ipiiiig  snipe  ground.  It  is,  as  T  liave  said,  a  tlat  alluvial 
swee|)  of  land,    Intersecteil    by    innumerable  streamlets,    tilled  to 


ii 


'  •!!,, 


1 


,3.,  .4   TRIP  TO  CHATEAU  RICHER. 

the  brink  and  over  it  at   high  tides,  but  at  low  -.vate.    forniiuK 
deep  cliannelled  gulleys  through    .l>e  soft    greasy    m"^'-    t^'"  "'■ 
twelve  feet  at  le'.st  beneatii  the  level  of  the  u.eadows.      1  his  llat 
is  covered  during  the  summer  by   a  luxuriant  crop    ol  sott  and 
tender  gras-.  rarely  rising  above  six  inches  from  the  soil-watered 
by  all  the  runs  of  wluch   I   have  spoken,  and  overflowed  m  the 
vicinitv  of  these,  and   all  along  the   beach,    at   every    tide.     In 
consecpience  the  snipe,  which  come  on  from  the  remote  north 
immediatelv  after    getting  olf  their   young,  alight    on    tins   and 
similar  levels  bv  mvriads  at    a  time   toward  the   latter   days  oi 
Julv,  and  remain  tliere  in  swarms,  fat,  la/,v  and  reluctant  to  get 
up,"  till  the  autumnal  frosts,  uhich  begin  early  in  September,  drive 
them  down   to  more   southern  latitudes.     During  the  winter,  on 
the   contrary,    these    meadows    are    covered    with    snow,  which 
tha.ved  partiallv  at  every  rising  of  the  tide,   is  again  congealed 
bv  the  excessive  cold,  the  moment  that  the  ebb  commences,  into 
a  sheet  of  solid  ice.     The  grass   is  utterly   killed  down,  and  the 
roots  are  so  much  alYected  that  it  recp.ires  a  more  than  ordinary 
degree  of  heat  and  sunshine  to   regenerate  the  stricken  verdure. 
At  a  glance,  then,  when  I  set  foot  on  it,  and  .aw  the  whole  wide 
ran-e  of    meadow  overspread  with  the  dead    yellow    t.lament> 
whU-h   had  been  grass  last  summer,  without  one  blade  ere.t,  or 
covered  enough  anvwhere  to  have  shielded  a  grasshopper,  1  sau 
that  our  cake  was'dough.     There    was,  however,   nothing  lor  it 
but   to   persevere.      Our   route    bedward   and    supperward    lay 
straight  ahead,  and  having  come,  I  thought  it  .luite  as  well  to  see 
the  thing  well  out;  so  on  I  strode,  most  manfully,  bearing  my 
uun  half  cocked  in  the  hollow  of  my  arm,   with  the  forefinger  ol 
my  right  upon  the  .rigger  guard,  as  if  I   had  expected  at  each 
stq,  to  hear  the  shrill  "skeap!  skeap!"      NVuving  my  setters   o 
the  right  and  left,  as  heads  up  and  sterns  down  they  scoured  tlie 
ureasv  flat,  and  whistling  to  them  cheerily  when  they  stood  stil 
and  s'tared   in   my    face,  as   if  to  ask   me    why   the  devil    I   had 
brought  them  there,  bye  and  bye  I  reached  one  of  the  channeled 
runs  which   I   have  described,  full  and  flooded,  for  the  tide  was 
„„w  well  up.     Knowing  nothing  about  the  nature  of  the  ground, 
seeing  all  around  me  a  dead  level,  and  quite  forgetting  the  great 
rise  and  fall  of  the  tide,  I  never  suspected  above  eighteen  inches 
o.  water,  and  confident  in  my  fen  boots  in  I  strode  fearlessly 


CAC  RICHER. 

i,  but  at  low  -.vatei  torniiug 
liL-  soft  gn'iisy  niviii,  ton  or 
1  of  tlie  iiieadows.  This  Hat 
a  liixiiriaiU  crop  of  soft  ami 
inches  from  the  soil  — watered 
|ioken.  ami  oveitloweil  in  the 
e  beach,  at  every  tide.  1" 
e  on  from  the  remote  nortli 
•  young,  ali^h!  on  this  and 
le    toward  the    latter    days  of 

fat,  lazy  and  reluctant  to  get 
legin  early  in  September,  drive 
udes.     During  the  winter,  on 

covered  with  snow,  which, 
r  the  tide,   is  again  congealed 

that  the  ebb  commences,  into 
s  utterly  killed  down,  and  the 
requires  a  more  than  ordinary 
•generate  the  stricken  verdure. 

on  it,  and  ^aw  the  whole  wide 
th   the   dead    yellow    fdament> 
.•r,  without  one  blade  ere.t,  or 
;  shielded  a  grasshopper,  1  saw 
;    was,  however,   nothin;;  for  it 
jedward    and    supperward    lay 
I  thought  it  ((uite  as  well  to  see 
ie,  most  manfully,  hearing  my 
mv  arm,   with  the  forefinger  of 
,  as  if  I   had  expected  at  each 
seap!"      NVuving  my  setters  to 
.1  sterns  down  they  scoured  the 
1  cheerily  when  they  stood  still 

ask  me   why  the  devil    I  had 

I  reached  one  of  the  channeled 

II  and  Hooded,  for  the  tide  was 
about  the  nature  of  the  ground, 
1,  and  quite  forgetting  the  great 
suspected  above  eighteen  inches 
en   boots  in  I  strode  fearlessly 


"W' 


A    TRIP  TO  CHATEAU  RICHER.  \y^ 

For  about  ten  oi-  twelve  ii/iees  it  was  (piite  shallow,  not  at  the 
most  above  my  ankles,  but  very  dark  and  muddy.  Well,  I  had 
not  a  thought  of  danger,  and  on  1  was  just  stepping,  when  by 
strange  luck  one  of  the  setters,  which  so  far  had  been  following 
steadily  at  my  heals,  sprung  forward,  and  turning  com|)letely 
head  over  heels,  disappeared  for  a  few  seconds,  then  rising  to  the 
top  swam  a  dozen  strokes  or  two  and  landed,  whereat  1  sagely 
turned  about,  walked  .ij)  the  runnel,  ciossed  it  with  ease  two 
hundred  _.  ards  above,  and  proceeded  with  my  beat.  The  follow- 
ing morning,  however,  gi  ing  over  the  saine  beat  when  the  tide 
was  out,  I  found  to  my  astonishment  my  foot-steps  at  tlit  '  ink 
of  the  ravine  (lor  such  it  was)  twelve  leet  at  least  ii\  depth,  and 
twice  that  ili^tanee  over.  Had  I  got  in  I  must  have  U)st  my  gun, 
aivd  not  imjirobably  my  lile;  for  though  a  light  and  active  swim- 
mer, I  had  on  huge  fen  boots,  which  would  have  draggeil  mo 
down,  and  the  soil  was  so  slippery  and  gioasy  as  to  yield  neither 
hand  nor  ibothoUl.  Of  this  I  knew  not  anything,  and  I  accoril 
ingly  strode  on,  beating  the  outer  margin  of  the  meadow  with  all 
ddigonce,  while  Aleck,  with  his  spaniels,  was  making  good  the 
landward  side,  until  I  reached  the  broader  channel  of  the  .St. 
Anne's,  which  does  not  cut  itself  a  gorge  like  all  ilie  smaller 
rivulets,  but  bringinL;-  down  a  copious  limestone  deposit,  has 
actually  overspread  the  mud  with  a  shelly  coat  of  petrifaction, 
and  spreads  out  over  a  broad  bed  with  a  hard  bottom,  making  a 
loud  and  brawling  murmur  as  it  crosses  the  nearly  level  marshes. 
Having  thus  finished  our  beat,  we  hended  up  to  the  road,  weary 
enough,  and  anxious  for  our  supper.  On  reaching  the  main  roail 
wc  asked  the  first  liahitant  we  met  for  Picrrr  Dubois,  and  were 
directed  half  a  mile  aiiead  to  Pierre  Dubois  Ic  petit.  We  reached 
the  house  and  cursed  our  stars  to  find  that  no  marehe-done  was 
there,  and  that  we  must  hark  back  again  to  a  mile  beyond  the 
spot  where  we  had  first  enquired,  to  find  the  residence  of  Pierre 
Dubois  le  grand.  Away  we  went  again,  and  this  time  went  too 
far,  and  found  that  we  had  got  to  the  house  of  Dubois  /its  instead 
of  Dubois  /'ere;  and  in  the  end,  when  utterly  worn  out  ami  dead, 
we  got  to  the  right  place,  were  pleased  to  learn  that  all  the 
people  for  two  miles  along  the  road— or  twenty  for  aught  [  know 
— were  called  />ubois;  and  that  instead  ol  holding  ourelves 
\inlucky,  we  ought  to  have  been  marvelously  thankful  that  we  had 


iii.i 


I . 


r 


,3^,  A  rniV  TO  CHATEAU  RlCllElt 

,„,  two  or  three  .u,«e  lon,.b.cked  eha.rs  co.nplelcc,  '         - 

iC  ^ve  except  su.ulrv   strips   of  rag  carpet,  a  dozen  ta^^ci,     pr.n  ■ 
f    .  i  U.      crueif.;  at  the  head  of  either  bed,  and  a  s.na  1  pot. 
'  ,     w.ter  in  a  narrow  niche  beside  the  door.     Ue.ore  the  latticed 
W  Iw  Jto^d  the  eternal   .lower  stand,  with  its  choicest  fre.ght 
•o^s  and  carnations,  and  on  the  table,  before  tnany  nunutes 
ind  d apsed.  was  laid  a  snow-white  cloth  wi.h  boiled  and  poach  d 
it  d,:,  toast.  .Vied  bacon  and  .Vesh  bntter ;  tl.e  tea,.,  d..  , 
sSc^ed  waslought  next,  and  we  ourselves,  w.th  »■    '  -  ^■"^ 
learned  at  Catnbridge,  prepared  the  h.ghlv  tlavored         u^ 
snp,,ed,  snu.ked  our    cigars,    discussed   a  jorun,  o.    ho    b  and 
nunch   and,  havng  seen  our  quadruped  comp^in.ons  we  1  suppul 
'"r,  ;.v^  d  with^lean   straw,  turned  in.     Be.V,re  we  closed  our 
"os      owev    •-  we  settled  our  proceedings  .br  the  n.orrow  ;  o.  sn.pe 
J;    nu,st  e       •  there  was  no  hope ;  duck,  however.  ,.  w as  s  ul. 
vX;  of  creeping   through  the  gnHe.s,   -night  ^^  ^Z 
.hore;  we  resolved,  therefore,  to  take  an  --ly  br.^  .    ^  ^^ 
along  the  verge  of  the  St.  Lawrence  lor  ten  .n.les  ta.  lur,  k.lhng 
waf  ducks  i.  .night,  and  then  to  mount  our  ,narc„.  ,lo.c,  v.sU 
Til  of  the  St.  Anne's,  a  splendid  cataract,  .ar  -"^^;^- 
,he  hills  and  little  known-comparatively  j'P-'^'j-^-;"^  '"^p 
t„  hurrv  home  .or  a  late  dinner!     Our   plan  ^'-'-'l^-^;    ' 
upon  it"  rose  early  and  fed  heartily,  started  upon  our  hnal  t  an^.p 
w  th  the  first  peep  of  dawn,  picked  up  a  duck  or  t  wo-but  no.h.ng 
o  nl>  up  .o'  o  tr  delinquencies-drove  onward,  and  saw  wba 
sTl    no    natne  here,   nor  pretend   to  describe,  for  ha  h  .t  n 
J;:written  in  the  thirty-second  book  of  the  'J'^;---  ^ 
Frank   Forester's  Experience  by  Field  and  l"  l-^/-;  /  ^'^'^^  ;; 
,lK.     United     Slates    and    British     Provu^ces.'      Su.hce    it,   tha 
hol..>  we  killed  no  game,  although  we  got  n.arvelously  qu....d 
an    gibed  in  Q,.ebec,  1  have  not  yet  regretted  my  tr.p  to  Chatea 
RichlM-,  although  I  there  learned  that  there  was  ,.o  sprung  sn>p. 
shooting  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 


'iAU  HIGHER. 

X  our  quarters,  wo  lost  no  time 
placing  tl'<--m  anil  our  luavv 
and    loose  dressing;    gowns- 
low,  while  washed  room,  with 
irtains,  festooned  to  huge  posts 
ble  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
chairs  completed  the  furniture, 
L;arpet,  a  dozen  tawdry  prints 
•  either  bed,  and  a  small  pot  of 
e  the  door.     Before  the  latticed 
land,  with  its  choicest  freight 
tie  table,  before  many  minutes 

cloth  with  boiled  and  poached 
J  fresh  butter;  the  teapot  duly 
ourselves,  with  all  the  skill  we 
he  highly  Uavored  brew.     We 
ussed  a  jorum  of   hot  brandy 
luped  companions  well  suppeil 
ined  in.     Before  we  closed  inn- 
;edings  for  the  morrow  ;  of  snii)e 
,pe;  duck,  however,  it  was  said, 
gulleys,   might  be  slain  on  the 
take  an  early  breakfast,  to  beat 
ice  for  ten  miles  farther,  killing 
to  mount  o\ir  imiirlh'  ilouc,  visit 
iidid  cataract,  far  embosomed  in 
.aratively  speaking-and  thence 
!     Our   plan  devised,  we   slept 
ly,  started  upon  our  final  tramp 
d  up  a  duck  or  two— but  nothing 
i_drove  onward,  and  saw  what 
:end   to  describe,  for  hath  it  not 
d  book  of  the  third  volume  of 

Field  and  Flood  and  Forest  of 
h  Provinces.'  SulVice  it,  that 
ough  we  got  marvelously  quiz/.id 
yet  regretted  my  trip  to  Chateau 
1  that  there  was  wo  spring  snipe 


.SVVi'AVY/  SA7/'/£:  A  RAMHLLXd  IWrjiK. 


BY   FRANK   FOR  KST  F.K 


Solvilur  <icn>  Itytms  (irato  vice  tfris    I  I'avoiii, 

THE  signs  of  the  season  begin  to  justify  us  in  looking  forward 
to  the  early  arrival  of  our  much  esteemed  spring  visitor 
i,'alliHtig-o,  better  known,  though  not,  as  Audubon  informs  us, 
cor>ec/l\\  as  the  English  snipe. 

lie  will  soon  be  winging  his  way  high  in  midair  from  I  he  rice 
fields  and  mild  climate  of  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas,  toward  his 
summer  retreat  and  nestling  places  among  the  cool  waters  and 
willow  swatnps  of  icy  Labrador.  But  on  his  way  he  will  tarry 
with  us  for  weeks,  periiaps,  if  the  season  fiivor,  for  months — 
artbrding  tlie  best  of  sport  to  our  sportsmen,  the  most  dcMeious 
of  delicacies  to  our  epicures;  and,  as  I  have  said,  dear  "  .Spirit," 
the  signs  of  the  season  justifying  us  in  believing  that  his  advent 
is  near  at  hand,  I  will  add  further,  that  many  prognostications 
lead  me  to  think  that  he  will  come  to  us  this  year  in  greater 
numbers  than  in  past  seasons,  and  that  he  will  give  us  a  fairer 
chance  than  he  has  given  us  of  late,  of  perpetuating  his  slaughter 
pleasantly,  and  lu.xuriating  U[)on  the  fruits  of  our  prowess;  in 
other  words,  it  bids  fair  to  be  a  devilish  good  snipe  season. 

Now  you  will  ask  me,  peradventure,  what  are  the  signs  of 
the  times  upon  which  I  rely  as  sure  tokens  of  his  approach.'  The 
signs   are    man. .old,  and    for  the   most  part   simultaneous;  the 

appearance  of  shad  abundant  in  our  streams,  mav  be  held  as  an 
10 


1' 

'i 

(5 


f. 


%i\ 


If 


.' 


Nil 


fi 


■38 


srRiNC  s.wirE 


almo.1  inlallible  token  of  the  pre.cn.-.  of  snipo  .n  our  ,neado^. 
-7c  Pipin.  of  the  bluebird,  like  bimsdr  a  passen.er  ,n,n.  tbe 
„u  ,  outb.  is  UK-lodious  to  tbe  sport.mauV  ear,  as  tlu-  b.e  svb.cb 
Ta  bi  ,ger.  bis  ,narcb-tbe  croaU  of  tbe  vernal  tro,.  tb#  .ke 
r'e  cea.es  to  be  to  bi.n  unnu.sieal-.be  Mvellin«  o.  tbe  .yellow 
„uas  on  the  waterside  willows,  and  tbe  sprou.in,^  ot  the  tender 
,reen  n.ush  grasses,  all  speak  elear  tidings  to  .be  eve  o.  tbe 
true  sportsnum;  a..d  of  these   n.anv  are  even  now  about  us. 

A^out  ten  davs  ago.  as  I  was  sitting  before  break.ast   toastn,g 
...v  u,es  at  the  :tove,  and   wishing  earnestlv  that  the  Ir.sbn.an 
would  descend-befor.    whieb  no  black  tea  or  buttered   toast- 
"uienlv  heard  a  faint  chirrup  out  of  doors.     1  started    o  n,v  fee 
e   raptu;ed,  verv  nearly  upset  the  bewildered  chess  plaver,  who 
Is    un.inating  on  Hn,  problen,,  the  first  idea  of  w  nch  dawn  d 
„pon  hi.n  at  the  bottom  of  the  I'assaic  the  day  he  bah  drown 
,ne,  and  rushed  out  to  tbe  little  esplanade  at  ,he  lop  o.  n,y  t 
terraces.     I  was  looking  about  me  earnestly  and   bstenmg  xMth 
all  mv  ears;  Checkmate  had  joined  nu.  yawning  nnd  -om  ermg, 
„nd  somewhat  disgusted.     Again  it  fell  v.po"  <">■  ear  and    ollow- 
"the  sound  mv  eve   caught  the  small  stranger,  sb.venng  b,s 
wi',gs  in  the  early  sunshine  on  tbe  top  of  a  feathery  ce.ar,  and 
whistling  his  merry  greeting  to  the  northern  morning. 

\'V\L  be  is!  there  he  is!     I  thought  I  could  not  be  nus.aken! 
Hv  George!  lam  right  glad  to  see  him." 
•\.A.ab!"  dnawled  Checkmate,  -'tha.    d-d    dirty    hltle    bud! 

What  is  it?"  ,    ,  ,  ,, 

u  A  bluebird,  Checkmate ;  the  bluebirds  have  come  . 
.>A-ab!     I   suppose  they  have,   if   that's  one;  but   Id   nu.ch 

,Uher  breakfast  had  come.     D-n  the  bluebird!   what  the  devl 

have  vou  got  to  do  w ith  bluebirds?  " 

"Thev  are  a  sure  sign  of  snipe— that's  all." 

..  A-aii'  "  And  Checkmate  relapsed  into  bis  problem,  and  1 
went  to  mv  sanctum  to  take  tbe  plugs  out  of  my  gun-barrels  and 
see  how  the  mainsprings  worked  after  a  winter's  d.suse^  Ihat 
verv  afternoon  the  hrst  ban.  of  shad  was  drawn  on  the  Pas^.  c 
and  the  next  morning  a  sporting  neighbor,  a  ,olly  Yorkslnre 
former,  by  the  wav.  called-or  as  he  would  have  termed  U 
SL  ./  in-to   inform  me  that  he   had    flushed   an    o.Ul  b.rd, 


1 


rii'E 

If  of  MiiiH'  ill  our  meadows 
imsflf  a  passenger  from  llie 
rtsmaii's  car,  as  tlic  fife  which 
of  the  vernal  frogs,  th#  liVie 
l_-the  swelling  of  tlie  yellow 
1  the  sprouting  of  the  tender 
.■ar  tidings  to  Itie  eve  of  the 

are  even  now  ahout  us. 
iiig  before  lireakfast,  toasting 

earnestly  tiiat  the  Irishman 
ilaek  tea  or  buttered  toast— I 
)f  doors.  1  staited  to  my  feet 
bewildered  chess  player,  who 
le  first  idea  of  which  dawned 
isaic  the  day  he  half  drowned 
planade  at  the  lop  of  my  turf 
;  earnestly  and  listening  with 
1  me,  vawniiig  find  wondering, 
I  fell  upon  "iy  ear,  and  follow- 

small  stranger,  shivering  his 
e  top  of  a  feathery  cedar,  and 
L-  northern  morning, 
lought  I  could  not  be  mistaken  I 

him." 

•'that   d— d    dirty    little    bird! 

)luebirds  have  come!  " 
if   that's  one;  but    I'd    much 
the   bluebird!    what  the  devil 
p  " 

!_thafs  all." 

■lapsed  into  his  probletn,  and  I 
ilugs  out  of  my  gun-barrels  and 
1  after  a  winter's  disuse.  That 
ihad  was  drawn  on  the  Passaic, 
^r  neighbor,  a  jolly  Yorkshire 
'  as  he  would  have  termed  it 
lie   had    flushed   an    odd  bird, 


SI'NiXi,  SXII'E 


no 


meaning  thereby  a  single  bird,  in  u  little  s|)rlng  run  near  his 
house.  Thereafter,  post  followeil  jiost,  hot  with  tiilings;  a  wliisp 
had  been  seen  wild  and  wai  \  on  the  lOlizabethtowii  meadows; 
two  or  three  had  been  Ihisjied  on  the  lloboken  marshes;  and  last, 
a  couple  had  been  killed  on  Tr.iin's  meadows — in  all  seasons  the 
earliest  ground. 

The  yellow  buds  h.ive  swollen  on  the  watersiile  willows — the 
gnen  marsh  grasses  are  sprouting  wherever  warm  rains  have 
trickled  over  the  soil. 

Therelbre  the  snipe  are  coming.  Hut,  gentle  "  .Spirit,"  t'lev 
have  not  yet  come— lor  one  sign  is  still  wanting,  without  which 
all  the  others  are  nothing  worth,  although  by  itself  insulVnienl. 
The  frogs  have  not  yet  begun  to  attune  their  /'/'<Xv/-,  XvXvX',  Xvx/v, 
ko(ik-y  as  old  .Aristophanes  interprets  their  delectable  music  to 
written  words— proving  thereby  that  the  frost  is  not  sulliciently 
o/// ()////(•  4' /(<//«(/ to  allow  them  to  bore  their  way  u|)ward  from 
those  deep  subterranean  dormitories  into  which  they  burrow- 
beyond  the  reach  of  weather,  to  return  with  returning  April  to 
the  upper  sunlight. 

The  tVogs  and  the  worms  ascend  together  to  the  surface,  and 
until  they  do  ascend,  vainly  shall  you  look  tor  master  (idlliiiujsfo 
on  inland  marshes,  or  on  wet  upland  tallows,  vainly  shall  you 
pursue  him  anywhere,  unless,  like  a  friend  of  mine,  from  whom 
1  derive  much  curious  sporting  information,  you  should  have  the 
luck  to  find  and  kill  him  in  great  numbers  on  tin:  biticli  at 
lioikii-.-ay!  :! 

Joking  ajiart,  however,  depend  upon  it,  the  snipe  are  coming. 
There  have  been  three  consecutive  white  frosts,  and  it  tried  hard 
to  rain,  and  diil  make  out  to  drizzle  a  few,  yestertlay — the  clouds 
arc  mustering  gray  and  northeasterly,  and  there  is  that  delecta- 
ble salt  water  rawness  in  the  air,  which  defies  dreadnaught  pea- 
jacket  or  rain-proof  Mackintosh,  making  its  way  clear  through 
skin  and  muscular  llesh  to  the  very  bones,  portending  a  north- 
easter. 

It  will  rain  :his  evening  or  to-morrow  like  sticks-a-breaking — 
it  will  rain,  '•  Spirit,"  days  three  at  least,  peradventure  seven. 
Then  will  the  sun  shine  out  genial;   the   wind  will  come  out  of 


t 


'II 


4i 


'itf' 


k' 
i 


m 


n 


r 


I-jn 


sru/ya  SNIPE. 


the  wcHt.^oftniul  balm.';  llu'  IVok-  will  'To^k  far  a.ul  near ;  and 
ll.on  on  with  y..ur  fu«lian  jairkct  aiul  away  to  tl.o  scoueol  actio.., 
lor  thi'.i  you  will  be  sure  tha'  ««//»■  (/»'•  .««/</ 

So  much  lor  the  spee.lv  adve.,!.  Now  lor  the  Kood  season, 
wlK-rcon  I  will  not  so  ion«  detain  you.  I  have  watched  the 
weather  "Spirit,"  somewhat  clonely  during  the  three  hi.^tni 
which  I  have  spent  in  thi-  vast  .epublic,  watched  it  as  behoove 
a  sportsman  to  watch,  curl-.u^ly ;  and  1  have  noted  that  an  early 
spring  is  invariably  a  cold,  variable,  uncertain,  fitlul,  d-n-ble 
spriuL'-a  very  step.nother  of  the  year,  and  :iV^  trr.sw.  Now, 
snipe  do  not 'love  variable  weather.  They  will  pitch,  indeed, 
and  rest  and  feed  for  a  day  or  two,  but  the.,  they  are  up  and  away, 
no  one  knows  whither:  and  even  while  they  do  tarry,  they  are 
.o  wide  awake,  so  wa.y  and  so  wild,  that  the.c  is  little  chance  ot 
making  a  tolerable  bag. 

In  mild,  soft  weather,  on  the  contrary,  they  stay  w.th  us  lor 
two  or  three  months,  and  sometimes  even  breed  here.  It  is  on 
sunny  days,  when  the  herbage  is  sulV.ciently  dry  to  adm.t  ol 
their  squatting  dow.i  with  their  breasts  pressed  closely  up.... 
the  g.ass  or  rushes,  that  they  lie  the  hardest  and  allow  dogs 
to  point  them,  which  thev  will  rarely  do  when  the  foliage  is  wet, 
walking  about  at  such  times  a  tip-toe,  with  their  necks  stretched 
to  the  utmost,  listening  for  every  sound,  a.ul  springm-  on  the 
least  alarm,  with  their  sharp,  shrieki.ig  whistU-. 

On  their  first  arrival  snipe  are  found  for  a  day  or  two  otte.i- 
times  on  the  salt  meadows,  a.id  so.netimes.  i.i  ve.y  dry  seasons 
for  a  longer  ti.ne,  but  such  places  are  not  con-enial  to  them,  and 
the  food  which  they  find  tl-.ereon  is  apt  to  re.uier  the.r  lKsh./,.s//..— 
or   as  it  is  perhaps  mor.-  correctly  termed,  sedgy. 

After  this  pause  thev  remove  to  the  inland  or  fresh  .neadows. 
and  are  to  be  found  most  abundantly,  especially  i.i  w.ld  and 
blustering  weather,  in  warm  and  sheltered  situations,  under  the 
southern-skirts  of  woodlands,  where  such  are  to  be  found  on  the 
meadow  edges,  where  living  springs,  or,  as  the  country  folk  call 
them,  warm  springs,  boil  out  of  the  ground,  for  there  the  herb- 
age is  always  the  greenest  and  most  succulent,  and  food  the  most 
abundant. 


,NIPE 

<  will  iTOftk  lar  anil  near  ;  and 
111  awav  to  till'  Ki-cne of  action, 
(;;■(•  lOlHcI 

Now  for  the  «"'"'  •'L-ason, 
n  you.  I  liave  watcheil  the 
iHcly  during;  the  thrc'  lintiii 
[uihlic,  watched  it  as  hchoovc^ 
and  1  have  noted  that  an  early 
lie,  nncertain,  litful,  d— n— hie 
i  year,  and  vkf  xirM.  Now, 
icr.  They  will  pitch,  indeed, 
,  but  then  they  are  up  and  away, 
while  they  do  tarry,  they  are 
id,  that  there  is  little  chance  of 

contrary,  they  stay  with  us  for 
les  even  breed  here.  It  is  on 
is  sulViciently  dry   to  admit  of 

■  breasts  pressed  closely  upon 
ie  the  hardest  and  allow  dogs 
relv  do  when  the  foliage  is  wet, 
)-toe,  with  their  necks  stretched 
y  sound,  and  springini,'  on  the 
leking  whistU-. 

e  founil  for  a  day  or  two  oflen- 
ioinetiines,  in  very  dry  seasons, 
i  are  not  coni^enial  to  them,  and 
is  apt  to  render  their  tUsh  //.'</n— 
•  termed,  svilu^y. 

■  to  the  inland  or  fresh  meadows, 
indantly,  especially  in  wild  and 
I  sheltered  situations,  under  the 
here  such  are  to  be  found  on  the 
in,>;s,  or,  as  the  country  folk  call 
the  ground,  for  there  the  herb- 
ost  succulent,  and  food  the  most 


si'it/Nd  sxh'e 


1(1 


In  weather  of  this  kind,  especially  easterly  weather.  Ihev  are 
at  times  found  in  great  numbers  among  briars  and  bushes, 
where  the  ground  is  springy  or  even  splashy,  and  I  remember 
one  occasion  in  which  in  three  day's  shooting  I  bagged,  with 
the  aid  of  a  frietul.  above  a  hundred  snipe,  while  two  other 
sportsmen,  as  good  shots  as  ourselves,  or  ni'arly  so,  who  were 
shiM)ting  the  whole  time  within  sound  of  our  guns,  haggeil  but 
eleven  in  the  same  time,  simply  in  eonseiiuenee  of  tl,'  tact  that 
they  persisted  in  beating  tlie  open  meadows,  while  we  shot 
among  the  bi\ishwood  a'ld  briars  on  the  wooil  eilges.  This  was 
at  I'ine  lirook,  on  the  Long  Meadow,  which  I  consider  as 
decidedly  the  best  rurlv  ground  in  thi'  counlrv.  At  Chatham  1 
once  bagged  twelve  coupU'  ol'  snipe  in  thick  covert,  among  high 
timber,  precisely  on  tht:  ground  which  in  summer  is  the  best 
cock  ground,  hut  on  thai  ilay  it  was  blowing  a  positive  gale, 
with  tinrries  of  snow  ami  haii,  and  I  was  led  to  beat  the  wood 
almost  accidentally,  by  observing  several  snipe  which  rose  wild 
and  out  of  distance  to  pitch  \\\  that  direction. 

At  the  ICnglish  neighborhood,  likewise,  which  used  to  be 
excellent  spring  ground,  until  it  was  completely  overrun  and 
devastated  by  cockney  shooters  from  the  citv,  1  have  had  good 
sport  among  the  thick  brushwood  to  the  let't  of  the  turnpike  road 
on  this  side  of  the  toll-gate,  where  the  coppice  is  intersected  by 
numerous  muddy  cowpaths,  in  which  the  birds  can  bore  easily 
and  procure  an  abundance  of  their  favorite  nutriment. 

I  remember  on  lliis  ground  many  years  ago,  when  I  was  but 
a  novice  in  .'Vmeri-m  shooting,  to  have  bagged  I'ourteen  brace  of 
birds  without  a  dog.  My  pious  reader  will,  I  tear,  be  horrified  at 
hearing  this  deed  was  done  on  (Jood  Friday;  but  I  was  at  that 
time  engaged  in  a  business  which  kej.t  me  closely  fettered  to  the 
city,  and  it  was  only  on  holidays  that  I  could  make  my  escape 
from  duraiHi'  vilr  to  the  tree  wilds  and  waters. 

Later  in  the  season  the  birds  resort  to  the  open  meadows, 
and  frequent  in  vast  numbers  the  hollow  places  ori  the  inland 
marshes,  which  having  been  filled  with  stagnant  water  in  early 
spring,  by  the  process  of  evaporat-on  and  absorption  have  been 
covered  with  a  rust-colored,  and  nr.iddyscum,  through  which  the 


Ak 


k 


f 

II 

% 


142 


,S77.VAV,  S\//'l': 


"!■  Jv  aro  cullol  '•  slank..-  and  it  will  W  well  .or  .!>.  spor.Mnan 
wl...is  not  ac<,uain...a  with  localitifH,  a.ul  wIu.ko  -y.  .-  not  kuI1>- 
cic'ntly  prac.i 'c.i  ...  .l.to..  .lu-,  l.v  ,1..  lav  .,f  .l-o  la.ul   .o  in.orn, 
,;i,„sH|-  oncc-rninu  then  l.y  .-"l-rin,  of  tlu-  co.n.ry  folks,  a-,  n 
war.n  w.alhur,  in  April  and  May.hin  spor,  will  depend  n.  a  «rca, 
.ncasure  on  hi.  heatinK'  then,,  the  birds   frequently  deser  n.K  tht 
pen    ground  entirely  and  eon«.e.a,in«  in  vast  tl.u-ks    .n  these 
,  ,oiee  situa.ions.     I  an,  satisfied  that  I  onee  tU.shed  .wo  hundred 
„irds  from  a  .lank  of  .his  kind  .,n  the  ni«  Meadow,  .1  I'.ne  I  rook 
„  nuHleratelv  si.ed  prairie  enclosed  by  tall  woods.  ...  the  westwa.d 
„f  the  tavern,  whieh  is  ex.eedin^ly  «ood  late   .eedu,^'  and  ly.n,' 
.round.     1  had  heat  Hk'   whole   -neadow  blank,  whe.,  one  o.  n.y 
tett.rs  eanu.  .o  a  dead  point,  but  too  near  his  bird,  wh.ch  rose 
under  his  nose,  llutiered  a  few  yards,  fat  and  buy,  and  ah«hted 
a.ain  without  observing  the  doK,  which  held   his  po,n..     On  .ny 
wdkinu'  up  so.ne  tbi.tv  bird.,  rose  together,  out  ol  vshuh  I  kdled 
„    doulie    shot,    some    twenty   or    thirty   rising  at   the    rep..r.   o. 
„,.  uun.     After  loadiuK  I  ti.oved   forward  a   pace  or  .wo.    when 
,„;.   dogs  aga.n   stood   sti.V,  and,  as  I  could  plainly  perce.vo,  on 
/„.,.   birds,   the    san.e    thing    happened    a    second    and    to  make 
a   long    storv  short,  a  third  thne.     I  killed  three  double  sl.ots- 
no  gr:.at  feat,  bv  the  way.  .or  the   bird,   were  as  tat.  and  ,  ew 
almost  as  heavv  as  chickens-witho-.t  n.oving  ten  steps,  and  a 
tbe  last  shot  fuil  a  hundred  birds  rose  at  the  sound,  and  sca.tered 
then.selves  all  over  the  tneadow  wluch  I  had  previously  heaten^ 
How  numerous  they   were  may   be   judged  from  tins    tact,    hat 
I  had  no  sport,  up  to  that  thne.  and  that  it  was  nearly  tour  o  clock 
in   the  afternoon   when   1   can.e  upon  these  btrds,  and  thata.tu- 
wards  I  ba^-ed  sixtv-threc  snipe  otVmy  gun,  for  I  was  alone.     U 
is  true  that  I   shot 'till  it  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not  see  any 
longer,  but   the  tneadow  was  positively  alive  with  .hen,  to  the 

''"'a  ielv  easy  rules  and  bits  of  light  advice  to  learners  and  \  have 
done-,  and  here  I  hope  that  accomplished  shots  will  not  sneer  at 
,nv  dignifving  bv  mentioning  little  tnatters  vshich  are  well-ktiown 
to  them,  re.netnbering.  perhaps,  that  they  acquired  the  knowledge 


«iU 


MI'li. 

itui  tL-n.kT.      I'li.'HO  pla'P-  i" 
^■ill  !)>•  well  lor  tho  spoiiMiuiii 
fs,  iuul  wlioite  ••vf  !■*  n«l  "*"'''■ 
111,'  lav  of  the  laiul,  lo  inl'orin 
■ill''  ol'  till-  i-oiiiilrv  folks,  ut.  in 
iH  sport  will  cicpeiul  ill  a  «ri'at 
lirdh   frfqiieiilly  dfsiitiiiK  the 
;;it'mK  in   vn-f    tlocks    in  tlieso 
int  I  oni'f  lUislii'ii  twoluMulrcii 
If  Ui«  Meailow.al  I'inc  lli..ok, 
bv  tall  wooils,  lo  the  wc-twanl 
y  nooil  late   iVcilinK'  anil  lyinR 
•adow  blank,  wlicn  one  of  inv 
too  near  lii'-  Wril,  •vliicli  rose 
irds,  fat  anil  la/y,  anil  alii;lilt.'il 
vliicli  liclil  bis  point.     On  my 
togetlur,  out  of  nnIhiIi  I  killed 
thirty   rising  at   the    report   of 
forward  a   i^aee  or  two.    when 
IS   I   eould   plainlv  perceive,  on 
lened    a    second    and,  to  make 
I  killed  three  double  shots- 
he   bird^   were  as  fat,  and  tiew 
thiv.t  moving'  ten  steps,  and  at 
rose  at  the  sound,  and  scaltered 
wiiich  I  had  previously  beaten, 
be    iud^'ed  from  this    fact,  that 
d  that  it  was  nearly  four  o'clock 
ipon  these  birds,  and  that  after- 
otVmy  gun,  tor  I  was  alone.     It 
,  dark  that  I  could  not  see  any 
)sitively   alive  with  them  to  the 

ight  advice  to  learners  and  I  iiave 
inpHshed  shots  will  not  sneer  at 
le  matters  which  are  well-known 
hut  they  acquired  the  knowledge 


Sl'RlXa  SN/PK 


«43 


of  such  niceties  only  by  long  ixperlrnee,  and  that  a  word  spoken 
in  season  miyht  have  eii.d)leil  thrni  to  rettii  n  home  a«  they  do 
now  with  a  welUftlled  game-bng,  instead  of  a  beggarly  account  of 
empty  pockets. 

In  the  first  place,  then,  rather  a  windy  day  is  the  best  tor  snipe 
shooting,  though  it  sli:)iild  be  a  sinith<Tly  or  weslwardly  wind,  by 
no  means  an  easterly  wind;  and  contrary  to  the  lule  for  any  other 
kind  of  game,  the  gr.iimd  should  In-  beaten  ilinvn  wiiij,  and  the 
do'^'  in  case  he  should  point  it/<  iviiii/  should  be  invariably  linitlfil. 
The  cause  of  this  once  told  is  very  simple.  The  snipe  cannot 
rise  except  up  wiiul,  and  if  forced  to  Hush  by  a  person  going 
./(;:(/;  iijion  bin),  will  lie  harder  and  closer,  and  will  ultimately 
rise  crosswise  to  the  right  hand  or  the  left,  atVoriling  an  easy  and 
close  shot;  whereas  by  suHering  them  to  rise  up  in/n/  he  will  go 
olV  wild  and  at  a  long  distance— presenting  but  a  small  tarj;et  to 
the  shot,  and  often  balking  the  sportsman's  aim  by  his  sharp 
twistings. 

And  here  I  will  l>»erve  that  for  a  second  or  two  the  snipe 
hangs  n  little  on  the  wind  before  he  gathers  way,  after  which  he 
goes  oil"  with  prodi:,'ious  velocity,  twisting  to  and  fro  at  eveiy  ten 
or  twelve  pices  with  gieat  rapidity.  Many  shots  of  the  old 
school  have  recommended  yoimg  sportsmen  to  wait  until  he  has 
done  twisting  before  liring,  but  this  is,  in  my  opinion,  very  inju- 
dicious, as  the  bird  rarely  or  never  ceases  to  twist  until  thirty  or 
forty  yards  distant,  when  of  course  the  chance  of  killing  him  is 
greatly  diminished. 

I  have  found  it  the  best  and  by  far  the  most  killiiii,'  way  to 
shoot  him  as  tiuickly  as  possible  al"ter  he  rises,  and  if  possible 
during  the  moment  in  which  he  hangs  on  the  wind;  this  is  done 
most  easilv  by  fixing  the  eye  upon  the  object  steadily  as  the  butt 
comes  to  the  shoulder  and  the  barrel  to  the  line  of  vision. 

Dogs  are  not  much  needed  in  sjiring  snipe  shooting,  as  the 
birds  rarely  lie  so  hard  as  to  admit  of  their  being  pointed,  although 
a  good  retriever  is  useful.  The  best  dog  is  an  old,  slow,  steady 
pointer,  when  the  weather  is  warm ;  although  I  prefer  the  setter 
as  a  steady. working,  all-weather  dog,  from  his  great  ability  to 
endure  cold  and  face  ice,  which  sets  the  pointer  whimpering  and 


ii 


;:ii 


ill 


U 


M4 


srnrxr,  snipe. 


shivering  painfully,  and  from  his  great  love  for  water  and  his 
aptiliKle  for  fetching. 

I  xvill  onlv  add  that  No.  S  is  by  far  the  best  shot  for  snipe,  as 
indeed  I  think  for  all  game,  and  that  with  Curtis  &  llarvcv's 
powder,  and  Starkey's  waterproof  caps,  a  sportsman  may  be 
deemed  well  found  for  the  field. 

After  the  rain,  dear  "  Spirit,"  I  shall  take  the  field  steadily;  d, 
therefore,  vou  have  any  friends  who  desire  a  hard  day's  tramp,  a 
chance  of  a  good  dav's  sport,  and  a  certainty  of  a  leg  of  mutton, 
why-send  them  to  the  Cedars;  iH  all  events,  you  shall  have  a 
dozen  couple  of  spring  snipe. 

March  9,  iS.(;. 


IPE. 

real  love  for  water  and  his 


ir  the  best  shot  for  snipe,  as 
lilt  with  Curtis  &  Harvey's 
caps,  a   sportsman   may    be 

all  take  the  field  steadily;  if, 
desire  a  hard  day's  tramp,  a 

;ertainty  of  a  leg  of  mutton, 
all  events,  you  shall  have  a 


DOMESTICATION  OF  GAME  BIRDS. 


MY  DEAR  SIR  : — Your  letter  of  the  seventeenth  iiist.  reached 
me  yesterday  morning,  and  I  hasten  to  give  you  whatever 
advice  I  can  toward  the  accomplishment  of  your  interesting 
project. 

First,  I  have  no  doubt  of  the  success  in  hatching  the  eggs 
after  so  short  a  transportation  as  one  of  a  hundred  miles  or  two, 
since  I  have  succeeded  with  the  eggs  of  the  wood-duck — which 
becomes  as  tame  or  tamer  than  common  poultry — brought  from 
even  a  greater  distance.     The  question  is  of  time. 

The  best  material  in  which  to  pack  them  is  very  dry  bran,  and 
great  care  mviot  be  taken  to  prevent  their  being  shaken.  The 
great  thing  is  to  have  them  taken  before  the  grouse  begins  to 
sit,  and  to  have  a  hen  ready  under  which  to  put  the  eggs  without 
delay. 

Now,  as  to  the  complete  domestication  of  the  bird — I  confess 
I  regard  it  as  quite  hopeless.  I  have  seen  the  experiment  tried 
with  the  English  partridge,  perdix  cinere.a,  the  European  and 
American  quails  and  the  Scottish  moor-fowl,  but  the  young,  to 
the  sixth  generation,  will  escape  when  they  can. 

Thus  far  only  I  feel  sure  of  success:  If  a  person  having 
sufficient  range  of  land,  would  devote  ten  acres  or  more  solely  to 
this  object,  surrounding  it  with  a  picket,  lattice  or  wive  fence  fully 
ten  feet  high,  and  place  his  broods  with  the  old  hens  when  just 

Note. — Through  the  courtesy  of  John  H.  Beardsley,  formerly  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  the  editor  of  the  present  volume  is  enabled  to  present  the  I'ollowing 
original  and  hitherto  unpublished  letter  from  the  pen  of  "  our  Frank,''  upon  a 
subject  which  renders  it  especially  entertaining  and  valuable  to  the  fraternity 
oJ  American  sportsmen.  Though  last,  it  is  by  no  means  least  in  value,  of  the 
articles  comprising  this  work.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  experiment  may  be 
tried  by  some  eastern  sportsman,  and  in  case  the  instructions  are  fully  carried 
out,  the  success  of  the  project  might  be  almost  assured. 


! 


r 


Sj: 


if 


I 


t 


II 


,4f,  DOMESTICATION  OF  UAME-BIIWS. 

able  to  flv,  therein,  having  previously  neatly  amputated  the  lower 
wing  joint  of  one  wing-tho  ground  heing  o.'  a  proper  nature- 
I  have  no  doubt  that  they  would  breed  there  and  become  com- 
paratively tame;  and  that  the  broods  produced  by  them  would 
hauni  and  ultimately  stock  the  neighborhood. 

The  ground  should  be  as  irregular  and  of  as  broken  surlace 
as  possible,  little  hillocks  and  depressions,  and,  if  possible,  havmg 
a  small  stream  through  it,  although  this  is  im>nater.ul,  as  1 
believe  the  pinnated  grouse  drinks  only  the  dews  or  ramdrops 

on  herbage.  . 

Part  of  it  should  be  covered  with  low  brush,  such  as  winter- 
greens,  sheep-laurels,  scrub-oak  or  the  like,  and  with  ragwort  and 
other  tall  weeds  to  give  the  birds  shelter-and  part  should  be 
cultivated  with  corn  and  buckwheat  in   patches. 

There  should  be  very  few  trees,  and  these  trimmed  up  to  ten 
feet  from  the  ground,  to  prevent  the  birds  from  climbing  up  to 
get  an  elevation  whence  to  fly  over  the  barrier. 

Besides  the  cultivated  ground  it  would  be  necessary  to  feed 
them,  and  that  might  be  done  so  as  to  bring  them  to  traps  where 
they  could  be  taken  when  required. 

If  it  could  be  so  arranged  as  to  clip  the  feathers  of  ihe  wings 
of  the  first  broods  raised  to  this  state  of  half  domestication, 
without  shortening  the  bone,  so  as  to  compel  them  to  remain 
incarcerated  until  after  the  second  moult,  it  would  of  course 
facilitate  complete  domestication. 

This  might  be  arranged  by  baiting  them  into  log  pens  similar 
to  those  used  for  taking  wild  turkeys,  leaving  them  entirely 
unmolested  except  once  or  twice  a  year,  when  they  might  be 

secured  by  a  downfall.  ,    ,  », 

No  dogs  or  guns   should  be  allowed  near  the  place,  but  the 

oftener  the  master  should   be   among  them,  appearing  to  pass 

casually,  without  noticing  them,  the  better. 

The    soil  should  be    light    and   sandy,    the   exposure    warm 

and  sunnv,  and  broken  oyster  shells,  lime  and  gravel  should  be 

furnished;  as  also  at  times  fresh  meat  cut  fine  and  scattered  widely 

as  if  sown  broadcast. 

The  lon-er  the  first  brood  could  be  kept  about  the  premises 

before  turning  them  out  into  the  enclosure  the  better,  for  the 


'til 


TuAME-nilWS. 

y  neatly  amputateci  the  lower 
i  being  or'  a  proper  nature— 
oed  there  and  become  corn- 
ids  produced  by  them  would 
hborbood. 

lar  and  of  as  broken  surface 
ssions,  and,  if  possible,  liaving 
ifrb  this  is  immaterial,  as  I 
;  only  the  dews  or  raindrops 

Ih  low  brush,  such  as  winter- 
he  like,  and  with  ragwort  and 

shelter— and  part  should  be 
t  in   patches. 

and  these  trimmed  up  to  ten 
10  birds  from   climbing  up  to 

the  barrier, 
t  would  be  ne>-essary  to  feed 
^  to  bring  them  lo  traps  where 

clip  the  feathers  of  the  wings 
,  state  of  half  domestication, 
IS  to  compel  them  to  remain 
id   moult,  it  would  of  course 

ing  them  into  log  pens  similar 

jrkeys,  leaving  them    entirely 

a  year,  when  they  might  be 

lowed  near  the  place,  but  the 
nong  them,  appearing  to  pass 
he  better. 

d  sandy,  the  exposure  warm 
lells,  lime  and  gravel  should  be 
eat  cut  fine  and  scattered  widely 

uld  be  kept  about  the  premises 
le  enclosure  the  better,  for  the 


nOMESTlCATlON  OF  CAMElUliDS. 


•47 


tanuT  they  can  bo  rendered  early,  the  tamer  they  will  remain. 
Of  course  a  smaller  space  than  ton  acres  would  sullice  for  a  -wyaW 
scale  oxporiment,  but  the  great  object  is  to  give  them  an  oppor- 
tunity of  hiding  away  their  nests. 

.Siioukl  this  first  oxperiment  succeed  on  a  large  scale,  a  second 
trial  might  bo  had  of  amputating  tho  wing  bono  of  the  hen  birds 
onlv,  in  or  'er  to  see  whether  the  cocks,  though  at  liberty,  would 
remain  in  co.npany  w  ith  them.  Should  this  prove  to  be  the  case 
a  groat  step  would  he  gained  toward  total  domestication,  and 
should  one  succeed  until  the  fourth  or  fifth  generation  witli  birds 
hatched  in  this  qmm  domestication,  the  experiment  might  bo,  in 
time,  perfectly  carried  out. 

I  thank  you  for  your  obliging  otVor  of  procuring  mo  tho  moans 
of  making  the  trial,  but  I  have  not  the  space  of  land,  and  am 
too  near  large  towns  to  ha.e  a  chance  of  success;  besides  that  I 
fear  the  great  additional  distance  would  greatly  incrf.'a>o  the 
ditliculty. 

I  have  made  about  all  the  suggestions  that  occur  to  mo,  as 
likely  to  promote  your  views,  and  can  only  add  that  I  shall  look 
anxiously  to  hoar  the  result  of  your  endeavors,  which  I  hope  you 
will  from  time  to  time  communicate  lo  me.  as  I  fool  a  lively 
interest  in  all  matters  relating  to  tho  production  of  wild  animals, 
and  stocking  or  restocking  tho  wastes  with  the  species  which 
have  boon  so  ruthlessly  and  injudiciously  extortr.inated. 

Allow  mo  to  add  that  an  excellent  way  of  introducing  any  new- 
winged  game  into  any  section  of  the  country  is  the  substituting 
their  eggs  in  the  nests  of  those  species  which  abound — such  as 
the  pinnated  grouse  in  those  of  the  ciuail  or  rufled  grouse,  or  of 
hens  which  have  the  habit  of  laying  out  in  the  woods,  etc. 

I  think  I  could  procure  a  few  pairs  of  the  gray  Knglish  and 
the  French  red-legged  partridge,  both  of  which  varieties  would 
I  am  sure  succod  in  Ohio,  should  you  care  to  try  them. 

Should  you  fail  o(  getting  the  eggs  safely  in  -Mlieat  bran,  have 

them  each  covered  with  a  thin  coat  of  gum  aiabio,  which  romovo 

with  a  sponge  and  tepid  water  before  setting  them. 

I  remain,  vorv  truly  vours, 

IIkxrv  W'm.  IIeuhert. 
Thb  Cedars,  March  jh,  1S57. 


?5 


'fi 


n 


THl:  lU^ST  ROllTli  TO  THU 

PLEASURE     RESORTS 

OF  THE    NORTHWEST. 


riiioiiuli  CaiN  are  run  over  the  Cliica^jo,  Miluaiikoc  and  St.  I'aiil 
!<ailwa\  anil  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad, 

Between  Chica^'-o  and    Stevens    Point. 


Take  this    Route  for 

HLKHART  LAKH.  C.RHHX  BAY,  XF.HXAIl  AND 
MEN.VSHA.  Sri-\1':NS  POINT,  PHII UPS 

^ASHLAND,  LAKH  SUPHRIOR. 

— * — 

Send  to  the  (ieneral  l'a--senj{er  A.j^ent  for  Guide  Book  giving 
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Milwaukee.  Wis. 


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DOliS   NOT   1:1  TK  TllK    lONCiUlv 

Our  cigarettes  arc  as  line  as  cn>.  he  produced  O.dy  the  l.e.t 
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AND    I'ARM. 

VND  ellKONICI.K 

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rature,  Cliuss,   DraughtK. 
)tinK,  I'istunij,  'I'rap- 
t's,  Natural  His- 
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iTKRS,  CANVASSERS, 

•  Mil)sciil)ers,  aK  well  as  tliose 
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talogue  of  the  most  desirable 
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ARM  ASSOCIATION, 

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\vinciiusti:r 


REFHAT1N(;  RIFLES 


T  II  K 

S[)ortsnian's   Favorite. 

All'  Kin  xirllid  lor 

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AM> 

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PA'^ER   AND  BRASS  SHOT  SHELLS,    \c.,   Ac. 


WINCHESTER 


REPEATING  ARMS 


COMPANY, 


Nesv  Haven, 


Conn. 


t  i  I 


IkAl 


X£H  .s/'o/rr/x*.  youMXM. 


n 


Ai-iKLi)    AND    Afloat,' 

DI-\  OIK  I)    TO 

FIKLI)  AM)  ATllLliriC  SPORTS, 


Yachting,     UoatiiiK,    Kishinn,    StaKC    Kenne!,    and    all 
Topics  of  Interest  to  vSportsmen. 


SUNl)  STAMl'  VOR  Sl'l'ClMUN  COPY, 


A  valuable  and  entertaining  -crial,  an  nnpulilisheil  Man- 
uscript from  the  pen  of  the  late 


^'FR  AN  K  FO  R  E  S  T  E  R," 

Will  be  issued  through  the  first  volume  of  "Afield 
and  Atloat" 

Terms,  $2.00  per  Annum. 


A  D  D  R  E  SR 


WM.  C  HARRIS,  Editor  "Afield  and  Afloat,' 

607  Sansom  Strekt,  Phii-adelphia. 
vi  i  i 


DkJ 


fOVRSAL 


Afloat,' 


TO 


I:TIC  Sl'ORTS, 

Slanc    Kenne!,    and    all 
()  Sportsmen. 

IM'CIMUN  COPY. 


rial,  an  unpublished  Man- 
en  ot  the  late 


R  E  S  T  E  nr 

lust  volume  of  "Afield 

at." 

ER  Annum. 


L  "Afield  and  Afloat,' 
,  Philadelphia. 


I 


